The REBORN SOLDIER
by Traban16
Summary: "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess…" the voice whispered on the winds of time and space… The book shut, closed for an age… Two feathers of black and white descend from the cloudy skies… Our story details that mysterious gift: the Gift of the Goddess...
1. The Book of Genesis

**Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.**

**Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!**

**Chapter 1: The Book of Genesis**

* * *

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess_…" a voice whispered on the winds of time and space…

A book shut, closed for a time…

Two feathers of black and white descend from the skies…

Our story begins, with that mysterious gift…

* * *

Sighing in irritation Harry walked along the worn, uneven, and cobbled path of Diagon Alley; Ron and Hermione falling into stepping on either side of him. He was used to being stared at, but never before had it been like this!

He knew it was because of the Daily Prophet and the whole mess last year with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but did they have to be so bloody annoying with their gawking and their whispers?

The answer… _No_!

Though what surprising and slightly annoyed Harry the most was that over the summer, he had begun to stop feeling anything sad, remorseful, or even grief-related for the death of Cedric Diggory. At first, when he had seen Cedric dead before him, it was like he had lost some big brother in the span of Voldemort's return, but then… then he had been assaulted by memories, thoughts, feelings, and flashes that he knew nothing of. It was like seeing his first conscious death he awoken something deep within the depths of his soul. It was like a flood gate had been unleashed, and Harry only hazed through his battle with Voldemort while trying to keep his sanity together, not truly recalling what he had done to survive. It was all a blur now, lost to his conscious mind…

And then came the emotional shut-down (as Ron termed it) only days later during Dumbledore's speech to the school. It was like he had seen hundreds upon thousands die before him, and that he was no longer troubled by the horrors of having watched someone he knew- someone he _cared_ _for_- die.

However, the Order had been worried about him, saying that it was just the normal numb and emptiness of a close friend dying, but he didn't think it was that. He didn't feel empty or numb, but something different… like with Cedric's death, he had been reborn. Though he would never give voice to the thought as it still shocked him that he could think such things, but it was surprising him less and less as the days wore on.

He had also not told anyone of his nightmares and dreams, either.

While in the past they had mostly been filled with his parents deaths or scant visions of Voldemort's happenings, now… Now his dreams and nightmares were of two friends and himself fighting atop a large cannon with swords and magics far more advanced than Harry had ever seen.

And then there was the name they called him… _Sephiroth_… Just recalling it sent shivers up his spine and made him clutch his head as a ringing in his mind and ears began. Hermione and Ron grabbed onto him to stop him from collapsing, which he was thankful for as the hurried into a nearby book shop to get away from unwanted eyes. They all knew what would soon happen, how one of those people in the Alley would go running to the Daily Prophet about how Harry Potter was seen "cracking up in the streets". Harry scowled darkly as he regained himself. It would be tomorrow's headline, he could just see it.

"Why don't we spend some time in here, Harry." Hermione suggested, and with a look at Harry, Ron surprisingly agreed it was for the best. Harry absentminded wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took in a deep breath to stop his sporadic breathing.

"I'm fine." Harry said quietly, though his tone was still firm.

"No, really, mate." Ron said quickly, glancing around before he suddenly picked up a book, not knowing what it was but trying to be helpful, "I've been wanting to pick up something new to impress Mum. Ya know, show her I'm maturing and whatnot."

Harry, seeing that Ron would actually willingly buy a book he would never read, and then most likely actually read the book later on just to throw him off, Harry smiled a bit at his best friend's determination to see him composed and proper.

"Sure, we'll stay in here a bit." Harry said with a sigh, smiling at his friends as he saw Hermione's eyes light up like Christmas had come earlier. Ron though, hid a grimace well as he put the book that he had grabbed back where it belonged and began to peruse the shelves for something more to his liking.

To be honest, Harry had no clue what book shop the two had hauled him into, so didn't know what to expect as he glanced over titles. He was also was sure that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting right outside with Mad-Eye and some other member of the Order. He was glad they had allowed him to come to Diagon Alley earlier than normal because of his detached nature. While the Alley might have been filled with gossips and Wizarding World sheep, he still enjoyed it none the less and the trip had greatly improved his mood.

Looking over the titles, Harry could honestly say that he wasn't even sure if most of them were Wizarding novels or texts. Some of them he recognized as Muggle fantasies about wizards and magics, like the _Lord of the Rings_ which he had just passed.

Deciding that since his friends were giving the books a try, Harry too decided that the next book he saw he would pick up and at less glance over. If it looked interesting, he'd buy it (because really, for him; money was no object and in no shortage) and then read it on the Hogwarts Express to show that he had actually been better when they had wanted to stay.

"Loveless, huh…?" Harry questioned to himself as he picked up the book. He was loveless. While he had disliked Cedric for his being with Cho Chang, he certainly didn't want the girl if only because Cedric had died. In fact, a flash of a well-built black-haired man flew before Harry's mind eye with white feathers whirling all around him, "_Don't wanna do the dishonorable thing_…_ It wouldn't be love, and it wouldn't be right_…"

Harry chuckled slightly, the thought of the man he had only ever seen before in his dreams making him feel a warmth that had only been given to him by his friends Ron and Hermione. It was like this man in his dreams had also been a great friend to him as well.

With that in mind, Harry's grip on the book tightened as he opened it to a random page. He was slightly disappointed when all that was on the page appeared to be a short poem setting up Act One of the Loveless book.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess… We seek it thus, and take it to the sky…" Harry read as he saw a shadow fall over his shoulder.

"Ripples form on the water's surface…?" Ron read as his breath graced the side of Harry's neck while Hermione's hair tickled at the other side.

"The wandering soul knows no rest…" Hermione breathed as though she lived for such poetry. Harry snapped the book shut, breaking the three from the small trance they had not been aware of.

"Loveless… Act One…" Harry breathed quietly as he gazed down at the hardcover of the book.

"You remembered?" Hermione asked suddenly with a smirk as Harry smirked right back while Ron merely rolled his eyes.

"How could I not?" Harry asked, before tapping at his temple, "When he's beaten it into my head."

"I wouldn't take Harry lightly, 'Mione." Ron advised as Hermione nodded, a coy smile on her lips.

"Noted." Hermione said as she turned on heel, "Now let's pay for these books. The faster we do the faster we can read them."

"_Honor Bound_?" Harry questioned, seeing the title held loosely in Ron's hand.

"Yeah, it sounded brilliant." Ron said as he showed Harry the book, "It's all about how to become this noble guy and his honor. Kinda like you, ya know?"

"No, I don't." Harry chuckled, "I'm not a noble knight, and I'm not even sure I can protect those I hold close, let alone all the people."

"Harry…" Hermione breathed as she and Ron watched him, though he gave them a small smile to reassure them that he was fine.

They quickly paid for their books, and exited the shop. Harry had been right. The Weasley parents and Mad-Eye were in fact waiting outside the shop for them with a rather non-descriptive wizard who Harry assumed was an Auror to watch him until the date of his hearing…

Which was tomorrow… Harry was sure that sleep wouldn't come easy to him this night…


	2. Illumination, the Glowing

**Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.**

**Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!**

**Chapter 2: Illumination, the Glowing**

* * *

Harry tossed in his sleep, cold sweat trickling down his forehead all the way down to his neck…

_A town bathed in flames stood before his foggy eyes, hazed with racing thoughts and growing fears._

_The people of the town; men, women and children all screamed and begging for their lives as he mercilessly end said lives without even batting an eyelash while he cut them down._

_Blood stained the snowy grounds and his own black leather boots. He had sworn that the traitors blood would flood the streets for what they had done._

_Then came a name. One shouted in anger, but he heard it loud and clear as the person shouting continued to assault his fragile mind with guilt and betrayal. Should the pup not have sided with him? His commanding officer? But the younger male in front of him merely went on as they did battle._

"_I trusted you_! _Why did you kill the townspeople_?_ Why did you hurt Tifa, Sephiroth?_" their battle continued as he knew this boy would never truly defeat him. Like Genesis had said to him before, they were monsters, and this boy would not defeat him with noble action, "_Sephiroth! Sephiroth, answer me, dammit_!_ Look at me, damn you_! _Sephiroth_!" but his mind was so confused. So riddled with a vague ocean of guilt, and still trying to puzzle out what was his true reason for fighting as he defeated the pup.

_Then, while still lost in the mists of his weary mind, he found a searing pain through his middle, and smiled. No more worries, no more guilt, simply rest and atonement… Then, in the darkness that followed, he saw the true monster that had been within him racing forth to continue what it had started through him. But he was not worried, the pup and the blond could handle things._

_Yes, he was sure he could leave the rest to them…_

* * *

Harry awoke as he always did, clutching his head as he sat up, drenched in a cold sweat and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Thankfully Ron was normally a heavy sleeper, but it seemed that he had been awake this time.

"Bad dreams?" Ron asked groggily, showing Harry that he too had only just awake. Harry groped for his glasses on the nightstand and put them on. Gazing over at Ron, Harry saw that he too was looking a bit peaky and wane.

"Yeah. You?" Harry replied as Ron merely nodded.

The two stared at each other, then around the room for a while before trying to get back to sleep. It seemed near impossible to him, but Harry had accomplished anyway.

* * *

Harry awoke earlier than most of the house, going down to the kitchen too see that only a few others were up at the crack of dawn. Mainly Hermione and Ron, both of whom were just entering the kitchen and going for something to drink. Harry however, merely sat at the kitchen table with his hands steeped in front of his face.

"Harry, are you… taller?" Hermione questioned as Harry raised a brow.

"Don't know… maybe…" Harry replied, not feeling taller, but knew that ever since Second Year after the whole Basilisk incident, he had been growing taller by leaps and bounds, standing just as tall as Ron and the twins by the end of last year.

"He's always grown over night, Hermione." Ron said, pouring her a drink and offering one to Harry, who took it with thanks, "Must be why he woke up like he did. Growing pains and whatnot."

"Yeah, that must be it…" Harry muttered, not wanting to reveal his dreams.

"You woke up? When?" Hermione asked as she looked curious while glancing at him over the rim of her cup.

"Around late last night." Harry admitted before bending the truth, "Growing pains must have made my nightmare and woke me up." with that, Harry shrugged, playing it casual as Hermione glanced over to Ron for his reaction, but must have noticed something else.

"Ron, have you… been working out?" Hermione asked as Ron blinked, then looked down at himself, seeing that he did have a bit more muscle than he recalled.

"Well, most of the chores around the house have fallen to me, the twins, and Ginny since the others have gone." Ron admitted, rubbing his arms, "I always draw the short twig, and get the back-breaking work. Though I'm glad to see _something_ good coming from it!"

Then both boys turned to Hermione, gazing at her intently and with the sharpest of hawks as they tried to see if there were any changes in her. However, neither noticed anything different about her.

"Nothing?" Hermione guessed.

"Nothing." the two said, and sat back down without having realized when they had gotten up.

"You two were staring at me so intensely, I could have sworn your eyes were glowing." Hermione said with a shake of her head and laughter.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you've grown." Ron said, patting Hermione's back as she blushed and glanced down at herself. Harry raised as he figured what she must have been thinking about while staring down at her chest, but when him and Ron shared a look, neither choice to voice their thoughts.

"Well, we had better find something to do before the others get up." Harry said, and with that, the trio talked over everything they had gotten while on their early trip to Diagon Alley yesterday.

* * *

Mr. Weasley had been nice enough to guide him into the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic (or the Ministry for Magic, Harry never truly cared) three hours earlier and wait with him until it was time. The earlier arrival, or the "just in case" time, was so Harry could get out his nerves before the disciplinary hearing began.

To further the effort of making Harry more comfortable, Mr. Weasley had even guided Harry into the Department of Artifacts for a little look around, saying that it held some things Harry might find interest with his Muggle upbringing.

He and Mr. Weasley walked through the department, noting muggle things that Harry would have normally seen in a museum or in a junkyard. Turning a corner, Harry let out a soft gasp as Mr. Weasley smiled behind him.

"I thought you would like this." Arthur Weasley said as he gazed over what was before them as well. It helped that whenever his children were having a very bad day before their schooling at Hogwarts, he could bring them to the Department of Artifacts. Harry was as close to his son as one could be without blood, and so Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder while giving the teen a smile.

"Mr. Weasley, this is… Wow…" Harry breathed as he couldn't seem to formulate a sentence.

"Call me Arthur, Harry." Mr. Weasley said, giving Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Because after today, I think you've earned the right."

"Thanks Mr. Weas- I mean… Arthur…" Harry said, the name feeling weird on his tongue as he addressed the man. His eyes soon went back to what was before him.

An entire gallery room covered in weapons! It was every kid's dream to see some of the things up close. It was just so many weapons! Long, short, thin, and wide. Staffs and canes, spears and knives, throwing stars and muggle bombs. There were even these little glowing orbs, like the marbles which Dudley had never allowed him to play with. Glancing down even further were shields and old muggle guns. Though one confused Harry as it appeared to be a gun with an oversized bayonet, enlarged to the size of a standard sword blade.

However, the gun-sword-thing didn't hold Harry's attention for very long as he and Mr. Weasley moved into the room. No, the gun-thing didn't, but something else did.

It was the sight of one of the swords that made Harry swallow a lump in his throat as he walked up to it. The sword was large. It's blade looked crafted like a single genius stroke from a great artist, it's black metal being nearly as tall as him but wider still, with lines in the blade that led up to the hilt, where two holes were in the metal.

He had told no one about his dreams still, not even Sirius, Hermione, and Ron. They were all just too confusing and too jumbled between visions of the now with Voldemort and dreams of the very distant past of another life.

For example, he knew about the long, shadowy corridor that led to the Hall of Prophecies. He figured it had something to do with Voldemort and the talks the Order had about the madman searching for a weapon.

Then there were the dreams of another life. Like the ones filled with blazing flames, flowing blood, and wicked insane laughter from his own throat.

However, the dreams and visions did bother him as much as they had when he had first gone back to the Dursleys in the begin of the summer. No, now he was used to waking up in a cold sweat as he dreamt of clashing metal, a burning town, and a long thin sword bathing itself in blood before it clashed with this same artistic hunk of metal that lay before his very eyes.

It brought to mind the man that he had thought about in the bookstore yesterday. Now, the white feathers in his mind gave way to the man's smiling face so clearly for the first time as Harry reached out a rang his fingertips along the metal. The man was tall, with a broad muscular body while wearing what appeared to be a uniform. His deep blue eyes smiled more than his lips did as he gazed at Harry in his mind's eye.

"_Use creates wear, tear, and rust. Now isn't that the_ true_ waste, Seph_?" the man asked with a bark of laughter before he disappeared once more… Behind his veil of pure, and pacifistic white feathers…

"I see you noticed one of the swords." Arthur said as Harry's eyes turned to him. Arthur gasped softly as he saw that Harry's eyes were glowing with acid green power.

"Yes, I have." Harry replied as his ears began riming with the sound of music. He glanced further into the room to where the music was coming from, and his eyes widened slightly before a small smirk appeared on his lips.

There, taking up it's own space along the back wall was a sword he had once known, long ago. How could he have ever forgot the blade. The still beautiful blade which he walked toward as though in a trance. It was long, thin, and as dangerous as it was beautiful, of this, Harry knew all too well as he moved to stand in front of it with Mr. Weasley at his heels. He felt drawn to it as it sung a song only he could hear, like a siren's melody bringing him in. Standing in front of the majestic sword, the green of his eyes reflected against the silver of the blade, as though his eyes were actually glowing in the dimly lit room.

"I see you've also noticed this one." Arthur Weasley said with a curious gaze locked on Harry, "Ron normally stayed by the larger sword all day talking about how cool it was to not have rusted all these years." Mr. Weasley shrugged, "But that's magic for you."

"Indeed." Harry said, running a hand over the side of the blade, "It's been a long time… my old friend…"

Mr. Weasley said nothing as he watched Harry. Ron had gotten much the same way when he had taken his son to the department for before his first year at Hogwarts. He just supposed the boys had affinities to the weapons as most wizards did for their wands. It was just a shame the boys would never be able to claim the blades, but Arthur supposed it was better than to have the children running around with such dangerous things.

In fact, with the way Ron could get angry with his siblings, he was sure that having the blades never claimed was a good thing.

"Arthur! Arthur, where are you!" a deep voice called out as Arthur turned around to see Kingsley running toward them.

"I'm here, Kingsley, what is it?" Arthur asked as the fairly in shape man appeared out of breath.

"They changed… the time… ten minutes… go!" Kingsley said between breaths as Arthur's eyes widened. He whirled around to Harry, but saw that the boy's eyes were still glowing (much brighter than before!) and that he was still caressing the long blade lovingly like a pet.

"Harry, we've got to go!" Arthur said, taking Harry's hand off the sword and jerking him away from it. Harry scowled darkly as the glow in his emerald eyes dimmed significantly, though all the while he was rushing out of the room, his eyes stayed fixated on the long sword which he knew.

Thankfully, neither adult saw Harry smirk once again when the sword disappeared from it's place on the wall with a brilliant green flare of light.

Oh yes, his lovely Masamune was finally back to him…

Wait… _what_?

* * *

In the chamber of the Wizengamot, Harry felt an unusual confidence fill his being as he sat smoothly before his assembled jury. He leaned back in the elegant chair they had proved him, bringing his hands together over his lap, he suavely threw one leg over the other at the knee and stared back unblinkingly at the entire Wizengamot, though he pinned his gaze directly on Fudge.

"What is with the boy?" one of the members said in a hushed tone that Harry normally wouldn't have heard, "Under normal circumstances, any boy would be shaking in his robes to be standing before the entirety of Wizarding Britain's ruling government. Especially as is in this, it's high court form!"

"Yes, it is rather unusual that he is so calm. However, if I remember correctly, he was Muggle-raised, wasn't he?"

"That must be it! He's ignorant of our power!" the man from before said, "Either than, or he thinks he'll actually get off from this."

"I think it's more of the latter…" one of the women in the back said calmly, "Just look at his eyes. They're practically glowing!"

"… I think they are glowing…"

"Nonsense."

Then as the proceedings were about to begin, Dumbledore barged into the chambers, looking as though he were a cross between greatly amused and slightly annoyed.

"Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric… Brian… Dumbledore." Dumbledore drawled slowly as he swept into the chambers, his robes fluttering slightly as Harry smirked.

"No wonder the damn kid looks so cocky…" one of the members muttered as Harry's smirk only grew while Minister Fudge's face pale somewhat.

"Y-You… Y-You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed… D-Did you?" Fudge said, looking unnerved.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with that same look of both amusement and annoyance, "I must have missed it." Dumbledore said, "But! By a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early." He paused to let that sink in.

Harry himself was greatly amused just like Dumbledore, however, he was only just figuring out why. It was amusing to see the look of disbelief, shock, and fear on the face of someone who tried see you fail. The Minister had attempted to get Harry to miss his own trial by changing the time unexpectedly just so they could find him guilty in absentia. While this had dampened Harry happy mood greatly, it did not ruin his strange sense of confidence or his newfound emotional control.

"The charges?" Dumbledore asked authoritatively.

Fudge cleared his throat as he brought out reading glasses, "The charges against the accused are as follows; That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on the second of August at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, I875, and also under Section I3 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy." then Fudge leaned over his high podium to star down at Harry, who resisted the great and sudden urge to scowl and lop the man's head off with the sword he had seen disappear from the Department of Artifacts, "Do you deny producing said Patronus?"

It seemed pretty cut and dry to him, and he wanted to simply be done it as quickly as possible, so he decided to play along. Besides, Fudge couldn't really do anything. The Restriction for Underage Sorcery was lifted for the defense of lives. However, Harry decided to be direct. It would not do to seem to analytical in front of so many unknown wizards, "No, I do not, but –"

"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of seventeen years?" Fudge interrupted as Harry felt his eyes narrow in a flare of anger.

"Yes, I am aware, but –"

And once again the Minister interrupted, and Dumbledore had to place a hand on Harry's shoulder to keep him from leaping to his feet and doing whatever it took to get at Fudge, "Esteemed witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, I believe we have everything for–"

"I'm afraid we're not yet done here, _Minister_." Harry said, in a voice that surprised him with it's chilling edge and regal tone. His voice was low and cold, but everyone had turned to him with wide eyes as they all heard him, surprised that he had even spoken, "I believe there are circumstances to this case you are overlooking, and I would be more than happy to inform you of them. That is… if you would be so kind as to LET ME SPEAK!"

A crackle of intense magical power rushed off Harry of a faint green glow around his body. His eyes were glowing brightly as though stars were hidden by the emerald orbs while Harry sat back into his suave position. At the display of power, Fudge had jumped, completely startled at the power the boy possessed to change the very temperature of the room to a near freezing cold. Fudge wasn't the only one, though. Several other members of the Wizengamot had jumped back and toppled their chairs as the chilling blasted of air came at them, changing the temperature in the room while making Harry look like a wintry prince atop his throne.

However, before Fudge could berate the boy for the use of elemental magic (which in his mind was totally done on purpose to startle them) Harry returned to staring at him intensely, and Fudge's voice died in his throat.

"Now then, shall we continue with mockery of a trial, _Minister_ Fudge." Harry said smoothly, but the way he called the man Minister was as if he called him a pompous windbag and Fudge sensed it.

"I will _not_ be spoken to in such a manner, boy!" Fudge yelled back as Harry's emerald eyes flashed dangerous. He was glad that Dumbledore was still placing a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.

"Do not pretend to dictate me as you do your pitiful subordinates, Cornelius Fudge." Harry hissed as Fudge backed away in his seat, "How dare you sit there and demand my respect after the stupidity you've shown throughout the years, you walking pile of foul-ups! You threw Hagrid into Azkaban, just to be seen doing something. You sit there and refuse to take the word of myself, and of Professor Dumbledore here, when you know that Voldemort has returned!" Harry's eyes glowed so brightly that members of the Wizengamot gasped while blood seemed to pound in his ears, "Who do you think gave me this scar on my arm? Who do you think killed Cedric Diggory, you hack?"

The silence was palpable as no one spoke and Fudge's jaw dropped. That was, until the woman in the pink cardigan spoke up, "Cedric Diggory… was a tragic accident."

"Can we get back on topic?" Amelia Bones asked wearily, her wary gaze on Harry's radiating eyes, "Mr. Potter, you said there were facts we had overlooked? Speak them now, please."

Harry took a deep breath to try to calm down. It only worked partway as Madam Bones noticed the glow in his eyes dim somewhat, "My defense is simple." Harry said like a quiet purr of power, "There were dementors. It was, and would be, the only reason in which I cast the Patronus. It was to save both mine own life, and that of my relative cousin, Dudley Dursley."

"The defense of life is a justifiable action which falls under the Exceptions Clause for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry." one of the members muttered to Madam Bones, who nodded.

"But Dementors, Mr. Potter? In Little Whinging?" Amelia asked incredulously, "If you can tell by my tone, I find that hard to believe."

Fudge appeared, of all things, triumphant as he quickly nodded, "Yes, yes! That's right! And it was quite clever of you, Mr. Potter. Quite clever indeed. You see, muggles can't see Dementors, can they, boy? Highly convenient."

"Perhaps," Harry offered in reply as he used his newfound emotional control to remain calm for the moment. He needed to stay on top, "but if you do not believe me, then we can all take a trip to see my cousin in the hospital. Muggles can, however, feel the effects of the Dementors, and Dudley is still probably in recovery from nearly having his soul sucked out back on Privet Drive. But then again, that little trip would only be accordance with an impartial jury, and not this mockery before me."

"You will not speak to the Minister of Magic or of this court like that!" the woman in pink cardigan scolded in a toad-like bellow as Harry raised an eyebrow elegantly.

"Like what, Madam Undersecretary?" Harry asked with an aloof look, "Like a man who seems bound and determined to get me expelled from Hogwarts? Like a high court that seems focus on the simple matter of under-aged magic, life-threatening situation or not, when there are still Death Eaters from the events of last year's Quidditch World Cup on the loose?"

"He's the Minister and deserves respect, and so does this court!" the woman screeched as Harry found his ears ringing in pain from the volume of her voice.

"Well, until I see some improvements, I believe I'll keep my respect to those that have earned such a blessed thing." Harry said coolly as a few raised brows and nodded in approval, "Now then, if the lady in pin is done defending _Minister_ Fudge's over-inflated ego as well as her own, I'd like to why in fact am I seated hear before what I assume is the entire high court for a simple hearing to deal with the even simpler matter of some under-aged magic? Because, it strikes me as a blatant and childish attempt to both intimidate and smear me."

"It seems that way to me as well, Harry." Dumbledore said with the twinkle in his eyes showing brightly, "Though, we may be the only sane ones here."

"Now see here, Dumbledore!" Fudge yelled as Harry's ire only seemed to rise as the man dared to talk to Dumbledore like some toe-rag.

"No, _you_ see here!" Harry roared, his anger channeled like a sharpened blade, "I have HAD it with you and your entire Ministry! Your stupidity and repeated ignorance know no bounds, you inferior dullard!" with that, Harry leaned forward in his chair as he gave the look of a leopard on a very short leash as Dumbledore held him back, but only barely.

"And did you honestly think I don't know that the Daily Prophet is in your control, Fudge? Ever since Dumbledore and myself have started insisting that Voldemort is back, which he is, you have started a slanderous, hateful, and downright false smear campaign against the both of us!" Harry bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls as the blood in his veins pumped through him faster and faster, "Now you sit there, in your pitiful high chair, and want to hold _me_ responsible for using magic in self-defense against creatures which are supposed to be under your control? I think not, you pompous fool."

With that speech finished, Harry settled back into his chair and resumed glaring at the crux of Britain's wizarding government in silence before adding one last thing, "And don't expect me to save you fools when I'm proven right and Voldemort comes for you. I'll end that miserable collaboration's life only when he comes for me. Hopeful, you all will be between us should he dare to challenge me."

However, after that was said, Dumbledore had paled almost unnoticeably at that declaration. He was well aware of Harry's discontent with the government, and his relatives as well for that matter, but to be so angry as to make a statement like that… Even if he didn't mean it as such, Harry had just thrown a very large rock in the lake of politics.

Plus, it did not bode well to have the prophesized Chosen One saying that he would leave the world to Voldemort's clutches until the Dark Lord sought him out himself.

Yes, that did not bode well at all…

Making a mental note to talk to the boy later when he arrived at school, Dumbledore attempted to reverse some of the damage that had been done before it could spread too far by taking a slightly more aggressive approach than he'd originally planned.

"I believe I'm not so blind yet as to see the many injustices that have been made to Mr. Potter both here today and in previous times. It's also easy to tell that certain practices have fallen out of favor while others are held strong. It was once the case during the First War against Lord Voldemort that the Patronus Charm was listed as a measure to watched for, just in case of such an event, and to administer aid to those still suffering the effect of a Dementor. I do believe that particular law was never repelled due to well-documented cases of the victims being saved just in the nick of time. Mr. Potter, was there any such aid provided by an official of the Ministry?"

Harry glanced up at the ancient Headmaster, no longer caring one bit for anything to do with the fools that sat before him, "No, Professor."

"I see. Madam Bones, if you would, please note that the Ministry has faulted in following its own law, and that it is only due to Mr. Potter's prowess at the Patronus Charm that he and his cousin escaped safely." Dumbledore said as Madam Bones nodded.

"Noted." she said as Umbridge, the woman in pink, began sputtering.

"B-But, there is still no evidence a Dementor was even there!" Umbridge protested as Dumbledore turned twinkling eyes onto her.

"On the contrary, Undersecretary," Dumbledore argued, "even if you disregard Mr. Potter as a witness, the very fact that the Ministry failed to uphold its duty to at least send someone to investigate the incident implies that _they_ were the ones who sent the Dementors."

A pin could be heard dropping with the silence that struck the room after those casually spoken words.

"How amusing…" Harry drawled slowly, leaned back like a predator among prey, "So now we've come full-circle and solved the little mystery of why the Dementors were at the Ministry in the first place. You, or someone high-up in the Ministry, have recently tried to kill me… But you failed. And in that failure, you have sat here and tried to criminalize me for protecting myself and my relative? I would curse and swear, but I don't think we need to muck these proceedings any further with vulgarities." Harry said, then leaned forward as he locked eyes with a very nervous and slightly sweaty Fudge, "Perhaps instead, I should just draw my wand now and duel Fudge here in a battle for my honor or something to that effect. Would that be to the liking of this oh so _esteemed_ court?"

"I assure you, Mr. Potter, there's no need for that." Amelia hastily reassured as, unfortunately for her, that one statement put her in direct line of Harry's reaffirmed agitation.

"And I simply must ask; why is that, Madam Bones?" Harry asked silkily as Madam Bones gave him an impassive look, not at all intimidated by the boy's glowing green eyes staring back at her, "Because to me, it seems like I simply cannot trust any of you to keep one idiotic Minister in line."

There was a pause as that sunk in before Madam Bones cleared her throat, "What I mean, Mr. Potter…" the Law Enforcement officer said regally, looking down her monocle at him, "Is that the matter will be investigated to the best of our ability."

Harry couldn't stop himself. He snorted aloud before giving a brief laughter, "I assume you mean just like the Chamber of Secrets incident was investigated three years ago?"

"Well, yes-"

"Because if memory serves me correctly, then it was this _esteemed_ body which threw poor, innocent Hagrid in _Azkaban_ until I proved it wasn't him."

"Well, that is-"

"Or do you mean the investigation you all did on one Sirius Black?"

Fudge paled at that as Harry smirked, "My apologies, there was no investigation done. Sirius Black, escaped Azkaban, broke into the Gryffindor Common Room, and escaped from Ministry custody without a trace into the night." Harry said, but then paused as he snapped his fingers, "Did I mention how that was all after Fudge attempted to sick Dementors on him."

"Why you little-" Umbridge's sickly sweet smile was strained very hard as Harry glanced over the court with a sweeping gaze.

"Or even the incident with the Goblet of Fire? I'm still fuzzy on how my name was spat out as a fourth contender in a _Tri_-Wizard Tournament?" though by that point, Harry had rolled his eyes as his gaze settled back on a bright faced Amelia Bones before he scoffed rudely at her and waved her off, "Madam Bones, don't insult me or my intellect. To the best of your ability means, quite plainly, that you'll twiddle your thumbs and attempt to sweep everything under the rug while hoping something bigger and more publicized will come along to make the Ministry look better."

Fudge was turning an ugly shade of puce as the supposed Boy-Who-Lived insulted him and his Ministry quite thoroughly while the worst part was: there was nothing he could do about it. Everything the boy had said so far was true, and even Fudge was smart enough to know that the only reason the boy was talking so big and boldly was because at a moment's notice, he could have proof and evidence to back up these claims.

Though Fudge wasn't a politician for nothing. He knew how to deal with the cards he was dealt. The best he could do was damage control now.

"In any case, this hearing has been made. Those in favor of clearing the defendant of all charges?" Fudge said quietly and pompously as he glanced over his fellow Ministry officials.

The vote was nigh-unanimous, and it was already apparent that he had lost. Only a few people had their hands lowered, one of them being Umbridge, Harry noted with distain.

"Thos in favor of guilty." Fudge said, but he merely sighed as he banged his gavel, "Very well. Cleared of all charges."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore remarked, delightfully pleased as he patted Harry's shoulder and turned on heel, "Come along then, Harry."

Harry rose from his seat as gracefully as he could before giving a small bow and smirk. He felt so much lighter, having vented everything he felt towards the Ministry directly to their faces. He wondered what they would do next. Despite thorough outclassing he had given the man, he had the feeling that Fudge would be trying something else soon to get back at him and Dumbledore for their small victory of his administration.

He could only, however, guess at what would be done until it came to pass…


	3. Uncharacteristic

**Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.**

**Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!**

**Chapter 3: Uncharacteristic**

* * *

Harry sat up in the room he shared with Ron, reading his book as Ron read his own. After getting and having a miniature party for not being expelled, Harry had gone straight up to his room after a quick talk with Sirius and had begun "_Loveless_" in earnest.

"What's yours about?" Ron asked suddenly as Harry leafed the page and closed the book, setting it to the side.

"It's interesting. It's about these three friends that go on a journey to search for this magical item called the Gift of the Goddess." Harry explained as Ron seemed enraptured already, "The three men take the roles of a Hero, a Traveler, and a Prisoner. So far from where I am in the book, the Prisoner escaped and is critically wounded, the Hero becomes a hero somewhere, and the Traveler is traveling the lands still looking for the Gift, but all of them are still bound to one another to seek the Gift of the Goddess together." Harry finished as Ron looked slightly confused but interested.

"It's one of those stories with a philosophy behind it, isn't it?" Ron finally ask as Harry sighed, nodding.

"I think it's saying that no matter where life takes you, one day you'll reconnect with lost friends again." Harry said as Ron shrugged.

"Mine was about this teenager whose entire town was destroyed, and he wandered the desert. Then, get this, this rich family finds him and takes him back with them." Ron said excitedly as he held up the book, "He's grateful, and swears to serve the family until the day he dies. He likes the daughter of the family, but then some of the people he thought were dead show back up! Now he's all freaked out and panicky because, get this, he was supposed to be the _leader_ of the town that was destroyed!"

"That's brilliant!" Harry said honestly. If it could hold Ron's attention with no pictures, then it must have been a great read.

"Yeah, and it's got a message to. It's all about honor, keeping promises, and making tough choices. But, there's also some other things I've picked up on from the book." Ron said, looking as though he were about to tell a secret, "Like taking good care of what you have and what you love, and finding your justice. Though the people in it are a bit slow. Don't have too much magic, only objects that have spells on them."

"Still sounds good to me." Harry admitted as Ron smiled.

"Wonder what Hermione got…" Ron said, trailing off with a look at his friend as Harry shrugged.

"Not a clue, mate." Harry said as Ron sighed.

"We better get some sleep then." Ron said as he and Harry blew out the candles around the room.

* * *

And so the routine was for the rest of August. Harry spent his mornings helping to clean Grimmauld Place alongside the Weasleys and Hermione, had lunch, and then reflecting on his thoughts, visions, and dreams, which were becoming a shade clearer, a bit more persistent.

His evenings consisted of dinner, spending some time with Sirius and his friends, and reading at least a page of Loveless before bed.

By the end of August, Harry was completely prepared for Hogwarts. His homework was completed, even his Potions paper, and he had become almost completely fed up with being unable to use magic.

Harry sighed. It was already August 31st, but it felt like it had passed much too quickly. He was eager to return to Hogwarts, of that you could be certain, but if only to prepare his magic as well as his mind was for the return of Voldemort.

However, there was still something missing. It was only as he was packing his things for the next day did Harry realize it.

He didn't have the fifth year books!

"Hey Ron, did the booklists come in and we missed them or something?" Harry asked as Ron looked up at him from his own packing, which he was doing while most of his attention was on his book, "_Honor Bound_".

"No." Ron said slowly as he reluctantly turned from his book, "Now that you mention it, that's really weird, ain't it? They were supposed to have come out at the beginning of the month."

"That's what I thought, too." Harry admitted, rubbing his chin regally, "Did the owls maybe get intercepted?"

"I don't think so." Ron mused, his arms folding while he still held his page, "My mother still talks to Dumbledore all the time. She'll no doubt badger him for our book lists so we can get what we need."

Harry didn't doubt that for a minute, chuckling softly at the thought of the almighty Dumbledore cowering before Mrs. Weasley's maternal wrath.

Just then, however, when Harry was about to comment, Hermione came rushing upstairs carrying three envelopes, "Harry, Ron! Hogwarts letters just arrived!"

Instead of voicing his thoughts on the latest, his mind immediately jumped to the question at hand, "How do they expect us to get any new books? Today is the last day of summer holidays."

"We still have the rest of today." Hermione reminded him, "But, I see your point. Flourish and Blott's is going to be incredibly busy. This was, however, incredibly strange of them to wait until the last moment to send the lists out…"

"Yeah, yeah." Ron agreed hurriedly, but unconcernedly as he returned to his book, sitting beside his open trunk, "Read what's there."

Hermione glanced at the letters to verify which was for whom, and passed them to her friends. Her eyes lingered on Ron, who huffed as he marked his page and shut his book before taking the letter up. Then, as one, they opened them.

As usual, there were two pieces of parchment in the envelopes. The first was the standard reminder about the start of term being on September 1st, but Harry was more concerned about the second letter; their booklists.

"Only two new books this year." Harry noticed immediately, quickly going down the list, "The predictable one, _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5_, by Miranda Goshawk. But the other one seems strange, and worries me somewhat… _Defensive Magical Theory_, by Wilbert Slinkhard."

"Theory? For fifth years?" Ron said, looking up from the first notice to the second and then frowning deeply, but then Harry noticed that something else in Ron's envelope had caught his friend's eye.

"Hermione, you don't suppose they're-"

CRACK!

Fred and George had apparated right next to Harry, who was so accustomed to the action by then that he wasn't even fazed any longer. Fred opened his mouth to say something, but Harry was far more concerned about his friends' state of catatonia.

Suddenly, Hermione seemed to snap out of her thoughts, flipping her Hogwarts envelope upside down hurriedly. Harry was a bit surprised when a badge fell out of it into her hand, but wasn't able to comment before Hermione broke into a loud squeal of girlish happiness.

"I made Prefect!"

Harry blinked.

He'd completely forgotten that Prefects were chosen in their fifth year.

However, the fact that Hermione had gotten the position was to be expected; she was entirely too responsible, orderly, and willing to help others not to. Plus, who else was McGonagall going to give it to? Lavender or Parvati? Both of them were notorious gossips, and focused on boys more than their schoolwork.

Yes, truly there was no better Gryffindor than studious and fair Hermione Granger.

"Well done, Hermione. Well done." Harry told her with a smile, "Mind looking over Ron's shoulder and seeing what he's shocked about? He looks like he's not breathing."

But she didn't have to do anything, as Ron took that moment to wheeze out, "Prefect? Me?"

Fred and George's eyes widened in stereo.

"No way…!" the pair of twins breathed as Fred rushed over and snagged Ron's envelope out of his other hand. Fred quickly flipped it upside-down, and exactly like Hermione's, a gold and red badge fell out into his hand.

George took a step back in shock, a hand laid over his heart, "Fred? Tell me that's not what I think it is…"

"I'm afraid so… it's a prefect badge. Ickle Ronniekins is a P-Prefect."

In tandem, they twisted and started at Harry as though he'd suddenly destroyed all of their hopes and pranking dreams, "We thought you would be the 'fect!" they cried out as Harry blinked, "We thought that Dumbledore would-!"

Harry cut them off with a sharp look, "I've more important things to worry about than stalking the halls this year." Harry told them as he frowned, "Besides, making me prefect would probably end up a mistake."

He threw Ron a glance, not knowing why as he hoped Ron would be able to read his expression. Normally it was Hermione he'd share the looks with, but Ron nodded, seeming to understand as he went back to his book.

"Calm, thoughtful, confident. Those are the people chosen for Prefect duty." Ron said as he went back to his book while Hermione looked surprised at his response, but nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah… we're expected to set the example for the younger students." Hermione said slowly, giving Ron a curious look as he didn't even glance up from his book.

"Yeah, I can see how it'd be bad if Harry here put the fear of God into some Ickle Firsties if they got him on a bad day, yo." Fred teased lightheartedly as George nodded.

Harry looked up in surprise at the small verbal tick. It couldn't be…!

"Snape does that enough." George concurred quietly, though the humor and honesty in his voice was not lost on anyone as Harry looked up at him sharply as well, "And that's every time the kids go into Potions!"

At the mention of Snape, Ron quirked a brow while still never looking up from his book. Still silent as a grave, he took the badge from Fred and glanced at it, squeezing it as though to tell that it was real. He finally tore his eyes away from his book, lowering it some to look up and met Harry's gaze, their eyes sharing a multitude of questions and answers.

Harry put on a smile, proud of his friend's promotion in rank.

Wait… promotion in rank? Where had that come from? Even as he was thinking this, he meant it when he said, "Well done, Ron. Very well done."

Ron shook his head, slightly amused while Hermione looked curious and thoughtful.

"I don't get it, Harry." Hermione said as they all turned to her, "Why didn't Dumbledore choose you? If it was just a matter of the temper tandrum from the court and when you first arrived, I'd still go with you." Hermione's eyes quickly fell on Ron, who had looked down. Hermione, in her slight embarrassed, quickly tried to do damage control by moving on, "It's just, Ron and I both get into arguments all the time, especially with each other. Why make us both prefects? If we're supposed to set the example, then why set up a pair of prefects who get into arguments? I understand why I was picked. I mean, just look at the other Gryffindor Fifth Year girls."

None of them could disagreement with that last point.

"Well, when I get angry, I blow up at everyone around me." Harry said off-handedly, thinking much quicker than he normally did and acting far more casual, "The two of you at least stick to one person; each other. And maybe it's because you two can still be friends after you quarrel. Not everyone can do that, so maybe that's another way of setting a good example. Ya know, how two very different people can still be good friends. I'm sure the two of you will promote Inner-House Unity."

After Harry's words, Ron and Hermione smiled at each other, and it made Harry feel even better about the whole situation. Despite having come up with them on the spot, his newfound spontaneous intellect made a lot of sense. Perhaps Dumbledore really _was_ trying to get everyone to branch out and make friends with the other Houses. Not that it was a bad idea, especially with Voldemort back. They could use all the help they could get… Maybe once he was at school, he'd try as well…

As Ron ran downstairs to tell Mrs. Weasley the good news, Harry found himself tuning out his surroundings and quietly packing, wondering what Hogwarts was going to be like this year now that the Daily Prophet and the Ministry at large were taking shots at him and Dumbledore.

"_Probably just like second year_."Harry thought bitterly, "_Except instead of being thought of as the Heir of Slytherin, I'll be thought of as the psychotic, attention-seeking liar out for more fame and glory_."

"Come on then!" Mrs. Weasley's voice rang out, "Out the door! We've got books to get! Move it!"

* * *

Harry woke up on September 1st early, having gone to bed earlier than usual. He knew how bad the Weasley family was about being up on time to catch the Hogwarts Express, and was hoping to avoid being caught in the stampede of activity which was sure to striking the house in the morning.

Quietly, Harry got up and picked up his trunk. He was careful to be as silent as possible in order not to wake up Ron as he dressed and made his way to the sitting room. Harry was completely unsurprised to see Hermione there with her trunk as well, reading over her copy of "_Defensive Magical Theory_", but he was a bit taken back when he saw that Ron was there as well with his own book, "_Honor Bound_".

To be honest, Ron had changed slightly over the past month, but this was a little extreme for the youngest son of the Weasleys. To be reading, in the early morning, and with Hermione casting periodic glances at him as well.

Hermione looked up at Harry as he sat on the couch next to her, with Ron on her other side. The two friends shared a look of amused and affectionate exasperation, but then both looked over at Ron as he hummed to himself while flipping the page.

"Umm, Ron… How long have you been up?" Harry asked as Ron glanced at him with a smirk.

"Oh, about twenty minutes." Ron answered, "Early to rise, meet the sun, live life to see it set, only to rise and greet it once more."

"Huh?" Hermione asked in confusion of the proverbial way Ron worded himself, which Harry suddenly noticed she _and_ he didn't do very often.

"You know, greet the day, and lay when it's gone. Early to bed, early to rise." Ron said as Hermione then seemed to get it, nodding as she still sent Ron curious looks.

"You, 'Mione?" Harry asked as Hermione looked to him.

"Ten minute." Hermione said and Harry understood that she too must have been shocked to walk into the room and find Ron reading in the early morning before her.

Deciding to change the subject and not allow his momentary surprise to get to him, Harry moved on, "I'm vaguely worried about who our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be."

Hermione nodded in agreement as Ron did as well, but he didn't look up, "I agree." Hermione concurred, waving her hand at the closed book she had been reading, "I've already read the first couple of chapters, and quite frankly Harry, this doesn't look good. Not at all."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is Lockhart, and ten is Lupin, how bad does it look?" Ron asked without looking up from his book while Hermione gave a deadpan look.

"I'd say, one, bordering on zero." Hermione said flatly as Ron actually looked up and Harry felt like gaping incredulously, but easily resisted the temptation.

"You're kidding, Hermione." Ron said as he leafed his page and closed his book with an audible shut, "How can _anyone_ be worse than Lockhart?"

"I wish I were kidding." Hermione replied, looking solemn as she sighed before pushing back some of her bushy hair from her face, "At least Lockhart's books had the occasional reference potential to useful spells we could look up. But this… this is… this _filth_ isn't even a _real_ book! It's _completely_ useless!" Hermione seemed about ready to throw the book, but before she did, she paused and took a couple deep, calming breathes.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger." Ron asked with a smirk as Harry raised a brow.

"Yes, because the Hermione Granger we know would never get angry at the contents of a book, let alone appear even remotely tempted to abuse one?" Harry asked, semi-serious and half-amused while Hermione blushed red.

"Yes, well… this is our OWL's year, and I can't see how this book will help us… at all." Hermione said smartly as she gently set the book down and sat back from it, as though she would do something she'd come to regret if she didn't.

"I don't think that Dumbledore would have hired someone who would give us this book." Ron said as he ran a finger over the book's cover, "I think this is the Ministry's doing. The twins said the overheard Dad say that they'd be taking advantage of Dumbledore's difficulty finding a teacher."

"I wouldn't put it pass them to have caused the difficulty itself." Harry cut in as Ron nodded, both looking as though they had run into shifty politics far too many times to count.

"Yes, I figured as much." Ron said as Hermione put her head in her hands while they continued on, "Especially with your recent hearing-turn-trial. They must be trying to undermine him."

"But to do what?" Harry engaged as he could have sworn Ron's blue eyes were glowing slightly, "This has to be bigger than just sabotaging us."

"You're right." Ron agreed, seeing Harry's green eyes glow brighter. So he wasn't crazy after all, "It would make no sense from the Ministry's perspective, so they must have something else in mind that they're trying to accomplish."

"Perhaps discrediting me and the Headmaster more?" Harry suggested as Hermione finally looked up.

"I don't think they'd go through that much trouble, Harry." Hermione said, but both Harry and Ron frowned upon her naivety.

Wait, _what_? Since when did he and Ron believe _Hermione_ to be the naïve one?

"Regardless, but we won't have anything solid until we see whoever our teacher is. Once we have a face and name, then we can figure out what the Ministry is up to." Ron said as Harry nodded while Hermione was staring at his face, or more specifically, his eyes and Ron's as well.

"Whatever it is, though, I'm sure it has something to do with discrediting myself and Professor Dumbledore." Harry said firmly, then he exchanged a glance with Ron as they both looked to the entrance of the sitting room.

For some reason, they could hear soft footsteps, but they didn't see anything. Odd…

"Aye, you're right." came a gruff voice as both Ron and Harry stood while Hermione jumped and in a flash her wand was out. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, fixing the three teenagers with a piercing gaze, "That's what last night's meeting was about well you were all asleep early. The Ministry went and passed a new Educational Decree that allows them to "help" the Headmaster of Hogwarts if the Headmaster cannot find a teacher for a subject. Since Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, they assigned one of the Minister's works to the job."

Harry frowned deeply, his eyes still glowing dimly without his knowing, "So that's what it is. Getting one of their own to act as an extension of Fudge's will under the cover of an instructor. So tell me, Professor Moody," Harry said, his face a calm seriousness that came with an upcoming storm, "just how frequently can the Ministry pass those… Educational Decrees?"

"Now you're see it, Potter." Moody praised, " There are only twenty-two in existence right now, and given how long Hogwarts has been around, do the math."

"But Just because that's how many they actually passed, that doesn't mean that's the extent of how often they can do it." Hermione observed as Ron nodded, his book lying forgotten next to the joke of a Defense book.

"Seph-" Ron said, but then shook his head as if to clear his foggy mind, "I mean… _Harry_, you've seen _Minister_ Fudge recently. Just how frequent do you think he'd do it, if he could?"

Harry's frown deepened even more as he thought on the question, "If he could, I think he'd do everything legally possible to discredit Dumbledore and try to assert his own power over the school. If that includes being able to pass new laws, he'd definitely use it to his advantage. He's already publicly committed to the idea that Dumbledore and myself are liars…" Harry said, crossing his legs elegantly at the knee and leaning back with his arms lightly crossed over his chest, "Fudge will lose everything when we're proven right, regardless of what he does now. I think to him, it's only to his benefit the more he attempts to undermine us; making us look bad makes him look good, in vice versa."

"You two've got a good grasp on the situation." Mad-Eye Moody commented with a suspicious look at Harry and Ron, while he merely glanced over Hermione, "But that's good. Like it or not, you're players in this too. Any of you come up with a plan for what you're gonna do at Hogwarts, Potter?"

"Learning as much as I can while trying to stay under the radar. For a wizard, knowledge is power. I'll also try to get in as much practice with my magic, too." Harry said as the grizzly man seemed to take the answer for the moment.

"Also, OWL's are this year," Hermione added to be helpful while Ron reminded silent, "I think we all want to make sure that after this mess with V-Vold…" Hermione struggled to say the name while Harry mentally scoffed, "_Voldemort_!… After this mess with _Voldemort_ is over, then we can all get on with our lives."

The ex-Auror gave her an appraising look, but nodded, "Good reasoning, Granger, but you all best remember: All the knowledge in this world won't help you if you can't use it at the right time."

"Noted." Hermione said firmly with a curious look as she saw that Ron and Harry's eyes were still glowing dimly.

"Hey, Harry! Glad you're up." Harry looked over Moody's shoulder to see Sirius coming into the room with a smile on his face, "Looking forward to Hogwarts?"

Harry shrugged at the question, not really sure how he felt, "Not sure. What with the Ministry on me and people believing I'm crazy." seeing his godfather's look, Harry quickly pressed on, "But it will definitely be nice to use magic again."

Sirius let loose a barking laughter, a grin stretching across his formerly gaunt face as Harry could see the color and fullness returning with good times, "Oh, I remember that feeling! The rush of being able to use magic freely at school! I really do wonder sometimes why they don't let students practice at home…"

"Up!" came Mrs. Weasley's scream much like yesterday's rush to the bookshop, "Out of bed! WE'LL BE RUNNING LATE! UP, I SAID!"

Harry raised a brow and looked to Ron, Hermione, and then back to Sirius as he didn't hear Mrs. Black's bellowing about blood-traitors and Mudbloods in her house. However, he understood why she was silent when he went to look with the others, and found Mrs. Weasley physically holding the curtains shut, muffling the occupant as she herself bellowed for her children to get ready.

Hermione and Harry exchanged knowing a glance and a smirk at Ron, who rolled his eyes as they watched the train wreck.

"That is the Weasley family morning ritual in motion, Ange-" Harry shook his head, not knowing why he was about to call Ron another name, "I mean… _Ron_, and normally, you're a part of it."

Ron didn't respond, his ears going pink as he ducked back into the living room and retrieved his book to read.

"Hmph. Podmore is late." Mad-Eye grumbled, "We're one short of the full guard, and he's got my spare Invisibility Cloak. Lousy timing…"

Harry let out a disgruntled grunt while giving a mental scoff; he didn't really care for a guard, and didn't need it. He hadn't been the General-Commander of the SOLDIER army for nothing, after all. He hadn't been called the Hero of the Wutai War for just show. He hadn't gotten a title like the One-Winged Angel with just his dashing good looks! He hadn't hailed SOLDIER's greatest and easily most powerful First Class member by flashing a smile!

Wait… _what_?

"Leave your luggage and owls, Alastor's going to take care of them. Check them over before and after." Mrs. Weasley said quietly and quickly to everyone, having abandoned her post as Mrs. Black's silencer, "Harry, you're with me and Tonks. Oh for Merlin's sake, Sirius! Dumbledore told you no!"

Harry blinked and looked over his shoulder for his Godfather, but found the spot empty. Seeing where everyone else's gaze was, Harry looked down to his side and saw that Sirius had transformed into a large black dog, sitting at Harry's side and refusing to be left out.

Pressed for time though as she looked at the nearest clock, Mrs. Weasley sighed and relented, "Well, Alastor is right about us being one short for the guard…"

* * *

Harry smiled at nothing particular as he found himself walking briskly to the London train station, easily keeping pace with both Tonks and the Weasley mother of seven while Sirius bounded around them, running happily out in the sun in his Animagus form.

"I see it's been much too long since he's been out." Harry said softly as he saw Sirius chasing cats.

"Well, we've all had to make sacrifices, Harry." Mrs. Weasley said as Harry frowned.

"I wasn't talking about that, and that wasn't the point." Harry said coldly, "However, you are right. His sacrifice is to be stuck in a house he despises, and what is yours?"

Mrs. Weasley said nothing as she and Tonks exchanged looks, having heard from Dumbledore that Harry's temper would flare up occasionally.

"Does Potter seem different to any of you?" Moody asked as he kept his gaze locked on the back of Harry's head.

"Yes, he does seem a tad more graceful." Remus admitted, watching Harry's long strides as though nothing could harm him, "And he's taken more to quiet reclusion, even around us."

"Yes, but the boy seems smarter as well." Moody said, "Smarter, calmer, more calculating, and prideful to the point of arrogance."

"I've only noticed that he is a bit more professional about things as well as cold and distant." Lupin said, sharing a look with Moody, "Though he's always been a bit reclusive, shy, and had that dry sense of humor of his. You don't suppose it could be Voldemort causing these changes, do you, Mad-Eye?"

Moody only grunted as he continued to watch Harry.

All too soon, it seemed, the walk had ended and Harry found himself back on Platform 9 ¾ while staring at the Hogwarts Express.

Barely paying attention to where a disguised Mad-Eye wheeled all of the trunks belonging to himself and his friends and other things around them, Harry glanced down at Padfoot. The Animagus looked back up at him, a glimmer of intelligence behind those canine eyes. Harry knelt down and gave the man-turned-dog a good scratch behind the ears.

"I'll be careful this year, so don't worry too much about me." Harry said as Padfoot let out a low whine, quite clearly communicating that he'd worry no matter what Harry said. Harry smiled amusingly, and yet, he felt a ping of sadness from emotions he had not felt for a long while. There really wasn't much more he could say, what with Voldemort back, was any place truly safe from worry?

Harry stood up as Ron came over to him, their eyes glowed briefly as they shared a knowing look with one another.

"Ya know, with him held up in that house of his, I bet he could find us some pretty good information." Ron said as he gave Harry a look. Harry nodded, an idea coming to him.

"Yeah, he could." Harry agreed, looking down at Sirius, who, as a dog, tilted his head curiously to the side.

Harry knelt back down to Sirius, leaning in close, "Do us a favor, will ya?" Harry whispered, "If you're looking for something to do, could you find out anything you might know on an organization called Shin-Ra? That and anything on the Lifestream, Mako, and Materia. It would be a big help this year, and could pay off for us."

With that, the great black dog barked once happily, before spinning around and chasing its tail for a few seconds.

Harry couldn't help but smile at his godfather's antics as he rose once more to a standing position with Ron smirking beside him while his arms crossed. Now Sirius had something he could do to help, and hopefully wouldn't feel so helpless and trapped in his own home.

"It'll do him and us a _Planet_ of good." Ron said as Harry's eyes glowed brighter, and he pinned Ron with his suddenly sharp gaze. Ron merely smirked back at him.

"Yes, it would…" Harry said softly as Remus and the other gathered around them.

"Well, look after yourselves." Lupin told his compatriots, shaking hands all around before turning to Harry and clapping him on the shoulder, "You too, Harry."

"Yes. Keep your heads low, and your eyes peeled." Moody warned sternly, "And watch what you write! All of you! You never know who's going to see it nowadays."

"It's been great meeting all of you!" Tonks said with a smile, giving Ginny and Hermione a hug. Harry merely smiled as he shared another secretive look with Ron.

He now knew he wasn't the only one experiencing the dreams, and that they were in fact real…

"Interesting…" Harry muttered, a coy smirk playing on his lips.


	4. Rebirth, My Friend

**Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.**

**Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!**

**Chapter 4: Rebirth, My Friend**

* * *

The Hogwarts Express had let off its warning whistle, signaling that it was about to leave. While only half-listening to Mrs. Weasley's pleas for them to stay safe, out of trouble, and to write often, Harry grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage from the trolley that Moody had brought, and hurried to the train, quickly followed by his friends.

Waving goodbye from a window as the train started to move, Harry chuckled lightly at seeing Padfoot chasing after him, determined to see him until the end. Several seconds later, though, he was out of sight.

"He shouldn't have come." Hermione worried as Ron rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and smirking good-naturedly.

"Give the man a break, Hermione." Ron chided lightly with a chuckle, "He hasn't been outside in ages! I think it's do him a world of good."

"Well, can't stay to chat, yo." Fred said, clapping his hands together, "George and I got business to discuss with Lee. See ya, yo." And with that, he and George disappeared into a compartment.

"Fred's been saying "yo" a whole lot since the summer started." Hermione observed, "And George barely ever speaks anymore unless someone talks directly to him."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Harry said, waving Hermione off as he glanced at her, his glowing green eyes betraying nothing.

"Suppose we should get a compartment, too?" Ron suggested as Hermione gave him a look and then whispered in his ear, making Harry frown, "Oh! Right!"

"What is it?" Harry asked as Hermione looked slightly embarrassed while Ron looked slightly dismayed.

"Meeting in the Prefect carriage first." Ron said casual with a shrug, "You know how these things go. Just need to receive first basic instructions from the Head Boy and Girl, then occasionally patrol."

"Alright then." Harry said, as Ron shrugged again, "I'll try and find us a place. Come find me when you're done."

Hermione let loose a relieved sigh, which rankled Harry a bit as he frowned at her, but turned away so Ange-… he meant so _Ron_ wouldn't see his look. Had the bushy-haired bookworm really expected him to become angry over something as pitiful as a first basic orientation? If Harry was honest with himself, he was a bit disappointed at both their being away and her reaction to his nonchalant attitude, but he wasn't going to try to ruin it for them.

The red-head boy opened his mouth, probably to give more reassurance, but Harry cut him with a sharp look, "Well? What're you two waiting for? I will find us a compartment."

"Gotcha, Commander." Ron laughed as Harry gave a small smirk when his friend clapped him on the shoulder, "Take Ginny with you, though. Don't need her wandering about with other boys."

"Fine." Harry said as Ron and Hermione gave smiles while making their way towards the Prefect compartment. Harry and Ginny, however, progressively went further back, peering into the compartments one by one. Each one seemed full so far, and Harry was starkly reminded of the Daily Prophet's calling him a lying, attention-seeking show-off when he realized that they staring back at him when he peeked in.

"_The fools_!_ They'll see_." Harry thought furiously with a deep scowl marring his handsome face, his emerald green eyes glowing darkly, "_Soon they shall realize their mistakes, and then it shall be I who_-"

"Harry…" Ginny said as she touched his shoulder, but Harry shied away from her touch.

"I know, I know." Harry grumbled, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down. While he had great emotional control, his anger seemed to flare badly when he was reminded that the world was against him… again…

* * *

As he was think such bitter thoughts, they encountered Neville at the last carriage, who was standing outside a compartment, looking nervous even as he struggled to maintain a one-handed grip on his always-escaping toad, Trevor, while using his other hand to work his trunk.

"Hey Harry… Hi Ginny…" Neville panted as though he had run a marathon, "Everywhere is full, I can't find a seat…"

Ginny managed to push past the flustered boy in order to look into the compartment behind him, "This one's available." she informed them, "There's only Luna Lovegood in there."

"I don't want to be a bother-" Neville began, but Ginny was having none of that.

"Don't be silly, she's alright." Ginny vouched as Harry shrugged when Neville sent him a shy puppy look.

Quickly enough, Harry was seated across from a blond girl, wearing a necklace of butterbeer corks, who was reading a magazine… upside-down… A moment of focus allowed him to make out the word "Quibbler" as the title of the mag.

Just like all the others Harry had encountered on the train so far, Luna stopped what she was doing and stared at him, "You've been reborn as Harry Potter."

"I'm sorry?" Harry said as he raised a brow.

"Forgive me, Commander-General." Luna said quickly enough as she glanced at her magazine, "I mean, you are Harry Potter."

"That, Miss Lovegood, I already know." Harry replied dryly, his eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to figure out what- or rather _who_- Luna thought of him so far.

But his attempts were foiled when she turned her head to Neville. "So the Puppy of SOLDIER returns…"

"Umm…" Neville looked nervously at her, but then a swift glance at Harry.

"I don't know who you are." Luna said as Neville blinked.

"N-Neville Longbottom." Neville said as Harry quickly tuned them all out.

Instead, he focused his keen analytical mind to the task of figuring out what was to come this school year for him. He needed to work out how he was going to spend the year with the Ministry's interference. Perhaps a few mock duels in the Common Rooms, or out at Hogsmeade? He'd also need to brush up on his magics, and to figure out just what were these secondary thoughts roving through his mind as though he shared it with another person. He had nearly called Ron a different name twice, and while he recognized it, he couldn't explain why that name had nearly slipped from his mouth so naturally.

* * *

Harry frowned pensively as he gazed out the window, not truly taking in the countryside as the train roved by it. He spent several minutes completely immersed in his own thoughts, trying to formulate a plan or understand his strange visions and dreams, but something- or rather _someone_- was interrupting him.

"Um… hello, Harry."

Harry turned from the window, recognizing the voice. "Hello, Cho Chang." Harry said almost listlessly.

"Umm… I… we…" Cho stammered as Harry stared at her in boredom.

"Is there something you want, Cho?" Harry said helpfully, remembering the girl as a crush which had faded over the summer, but more importantly as Cedric Diggory's girlfriend before he died. At the pang of guilt and sadness he felt, Harry only reminded himself that the dead were far better off than those still amongst the living.

He had no clue where that grim thought had come from, but he stood by it as truth.

"Yes, but if this is a bad time-"

"Perhaps later then?" Harry suggested with a small smile, "When we're all settled in at the school?"

"Yeah, that'd be better." Cho said, looking as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, "I'll see you around, Harry."

"Yes, I'm sure." Harry said as Cho left.

"Wow, Harry." Neville said, relaxing somewhat, "You could cut the tense with a knife."

"What in the name of Gaia are you talking about?" Harry asked dryly, his voice smooth and rich.

"She was obviously here to talk about something important." Ginny cut in with an intense look at Harry, "Maybe get some closure about Cedric's sudden death last year."

"If she wants closure, she can seek it with a stronger resolve than that." Harry spat coldly, "People die. People get killed. Voldemort kills people. Voldemort killed Cedric. If she wants closure or whatever she came for, then until she isn't a stuttering collection of tears, she doesn't deserve it. I'm sure that Cedric would not approve of her wasting her life crying after him."

"I never knew you were so harsh, Harry." Ginny said, her eyes hard with a slight glow, though nowhere near as strong as Harry's own.

"It's not being harsh when I've given her time to collect herself." Harry corrected, "I could have dealt with her as emotional as she was, but _that_ would have been harsh and cruel."

"Whatever…" Ginny said, crossing her arms and settling back into her seat as though she and Harry had arguments all the time.

Harry didn't feel that poor attempt at a rebuttal deserved a response and just sighed. Digging through his trunk, Harry dug out his book and turned to the dog-eared page that he had marked.

"Loveless Act Three…" Harry read as he buried his nose in the book, not seeing how the glow in the other three's eyes increased at what he said.

* * *

Hermione and Ron didn't return from the prefect's carriage for almost an hour, and by then the snack trolley had already come and gone. Ron opened the compartment's door and leaned against it with his arms crossed while a smug smirk came over his face. Hermione peeked in, a smile on her face as well. Shaking his head, Ron snagged up one of Harry's Chocolate Frogs and sat down heavily next to him.

"There are two Prefects from each House." Ron said before he took a bite from the frog.

"Oh?" Harry raised a brow as Hermione nodded, taking a seat opposite Ginny.

"Yes, one boy and one girl from each." Hermione added as Harry's brow didn't lower.

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked as he shut his book and looked at Ron, who smirked.

"No story is not worth hearing." Ron said firmly, "And because you'll never guess who the Slytherin prefect is?" Ron finished dully, though the smirk he hid by biting into his Frog a moment later didn't escape Harry.

"Draco Malfoy, I presume." Harry replied dryly, certain that it had to be the blond.

Ron nodded, finishing the treat and taking another from Harry's pile, "You'll just have to see him in person, I guess."

Now that made Harry's brow rise in curiosity. Why would he have to see Malfoy in person?

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson is the girl Perfect for Slytherin!" Hermione spat with uncharacteristic malice, "I don't know how she got to be prefect when she's thicker than… than…"

But she couldn't come up with anything. However, Harry was completely unsurprised by the news; if Malfoy had gotten it, it was almost certain that Pansy had as well. Those two were the worst of the Slytherins by far.

"What about Hufflepuff?"

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott." Ron answered, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed and the foot of his right leg resting on left knee, "With Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw."

"I see…" Harry said as he leaned back, frowning. He'd have to remember those names, "What're they like?"

"You know orientations." Ron replied with a sigh and shrug, "You don't get to tack much. We were in there just getting information on what we're supposed to do."

Harry nodded, though his frown settled on his lips as he got into thought. He and Ron had previous experience with Padma Patil, as it was through him that Ron had acquired that date for the Yule Ball last year. Harry himself had gone with her twin sister in Gryffindor, Parvati.

He just hoped that the girl wasn't still too hung-up on what a disappointment the two had turn her and her twin sister's Yule Ball evenings into with their obsessions. Ron must have thought about it too, because he suddenly grimaced and hurriedly glanced at the watch his mother had given him for making Prefect.

"Umm… Hermione, it's almost time to do our patrol." Ron said, but seeing the curious looks on Neville and Ginny's faces, along with the uncaring ones of Luna and Harry, he quickly elaborated, "Not special. We're just supposed to check up on things every so often, and assign appropriate punishments if people are misbehaving. Harry, hand me my book. This is gonna get dull quickly."

"You and your book of honor, Angeal…" Harry muttered as he dug through Ron's trunk.

"An- what?" Hermione said as she noticed Harry's slip of the tongue and Ron's acceptance of it.

"I meant Ron." Harry said smoothly, his tone not changing, "Just a little mix up, is all."

"Who's this Angeal person?" Hermione asked, but Ron covered as he smirked.

"Man, I can't wait to catch Crabbe and Goyle bullying some First Years. They're gonna get it…" Ron said, rubbing his hands together as Hermione turned on him.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded sharply, "You are not supposed to abuse your authority like that!"

"Noted." Ron said, with a sigh before whispering, "A shame that it would also be against my honor as well…"

Harry quirked a brow, some part of him proven correct in someway with hearing Ron's whisperings.

Hermione, however, merely gave the youngest male Weasley an exasperated look before taking his arm, "C'mon, Ron, it's time for our patrol."

She stood up to open the compartment door, but it opened before she could get to it. Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of an arrogantly smirking Draco Malfoy flanked by his two cronies.

"What do you want, Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked with the slightest hint of exasperation and annoyance.

"My friend," Draco began while arrogantly tossing his head back, "your desire is that of mine as well. My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the Gift of the Goddess."

"Genesis…" Harry mutter with wide eyes, leaping to his feet as Draco continued to smirk, a sky blue glow within his stormy grey eyes.

"My friend, it seems the fates are cruel." Draco said, turning on heel, "But atlas, even if the morrow is barren of promises…"

"Nothing shall forestall my return…" Harry finished as Draco and his two flunkies disappeared, "I guess he really was right in the end..."

* * *

As soon as the door closed, Harry sat down heavily, looking down with glowing green eyes at his shaking hands. It was like he was now fully awake from a long slumber and half-consciousness. He looked up and met Ron's gaze, and the red-head seemed just as unnerved as Harry felt; they both had no doubt fully awaken with Draco's appearance and the quotes of so long ago.

"Seph… Sephiroth…?" Ron questioned.

"An… A-Angeal…?" Harry croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

"H-Harry, what just happened with Malfoy?" Hermione asked, looking shell-shocked and gripping her head as though something were ringing in her ears, "W-What's going on…?"

"Rebirth, my friends." Luna stated calmly, seemingly not effected as she gazed around at the others who were in deep shock, "This is the Gift. Lifestream and the Goddess Minerva have given us life once more."

"An-Angeal…?" Neville asked with the look of an adorable puppy reunited with it's owner, "Is that really you?"

"Za-Zack?" Ron asked as his eyes widened even further.

Ginny looked like she had been hit over the head and so did Hermione, though he supposed that he didn't look much better anyway. He tried to regain himself, but it was all just too much, he could only gape in shock like the others. To have been reborn… Him…! Sephiroth, the terror of the Planet! Reborn from the Lifestream with the other much more deserving people!

No… He _was_ Sephiroth… _Now_, now he was reborn. Now he was Harry James Potter! And he wouldn't make the same mistakes as last time. He swore it!

"Well…" Harry started after a long pause, finally finding his voice, "… this is interesting…"


	5. Her Gift to Us, We the Chosen

**A/N: Okay, I'm trying to go through the Order of the Phoenix book, and point out as many illogical points as I can while also having this story be original, because… well… we have SOLDIER in it! As well as double-soul characters! Not too mention those sneaky Turks, the powerhouses that were SOLDIER 1st-Class Commanders, and the Commander-General Sephiroth himself as Harry Potter!**

**So yeah, I may need help remembering all the illogical and/or important parts of the book. So, if you guys can; please, point them out and I'll create practical arguments for them in the chapters to come.**

**Chapter 5: Her Gift to Us, We the Chosen**

* * *

"Well…" Harry began, settling back in his seat as he smirked around the room, his cool confidence rebuilding after the supreme shock of his reborn status was brought to the forefront of his mind, "Isn't this interesting…?"

"What happened?" Ron asked as he rubbed his face with his large hands, "One moment it's like I'm here, but also conscious of it in the Lifestream, then the next, it's like someone hit me upside the head with the Buster Sword's flat side and knocked me here completely and utterly."

"The feeling's mutual, Angeal. That's for sure…" Neville said, rubbing his temples, "Oh man, dammit, does my head hurt!"

"Being loud about it isn't gonna help, dufus!" Ginny snapped as her breath began coming out in labored gasps while Hermione winced.

"Take your own advice Ginny." Hermione said, looking only slightly disorientated.

"Why don't I do a head-count for us?" Harry said, his tone showing a slight amusement to it.

"Angeal Hewley, the Honor-bound." Harry said, pointing to Ron.

"Zack Fair, the Puppy." Harry smirked as he pointed at Neville, who gave him a pout at the nickname but then winced as his head pounded.

"And as for you three…" Harry said, quirking a brow as he gazed over the girls, "I have no clue who any of you might be, if reborn at all."

"I am Elena of the Turks, Commander Sephiroth." Luna said calmly as she set aside her magazine, "I've been awaken for also a year now. It's good to see you have as well."

"Nice to meet you, Elena." Harry said velvety, nodding politely to Luna, who nodded back, "Can you identify these agents as well?"

"If I had to harass a guess, sir, I would say that Ginny is Cissinei reborn." Luna said, gesturing to Ginny, who looked on the verge of a panic attack.

"Is there nothing we can do for them before they undergo a complete psychological breakdown?" Harry asked, not sounding truly concerned, but his eyes reflecting the emotion more so than his calm demeanor.

"The integration process is handled differently for each person, sir." Luna said quietly, her airy tone not helping Harry's growing worries, "Though I suppose that since Agent Cissinei is not adapting well to the integration, you could knock her unconscious so that her subconscious mind would do a better job of melding the two personalities and the flood of memories."

"Noted." Harry said as he rose to his feet and stood in front of Ginny. Without a moment's hesitation, he jerked her hair out of the way to expose her neck, and choked her one swift time to the cluster of nerves. Ginny gasped, then went limb in his hold as he laid her back onto the seat, "Anyone else in need of a nap?" Harry asked dryly as Ron stood as well, though far more shakily.

"I'll be fine, and so will Hermione… whoever she may truly be…" Ron said as Hermione nodded, then stood with his help, "If anyone asks, we got hit with a stray hex from one of the Slytherins."

"I'm sure Draco would be more than happy to take credit for it." Harry quipped with a small smirk as Ron smirked back.

"I'm sure he would as well…" Ron muttered with an amused shake of his head before opening the compartment door. Then, he suddenly looked back to where Neville was sitting, "Is the Pup gonna be okay with you?"

As if to answer the question, and seeing that Neville was beginning to sweat, Harry quickly incapacitated the Longbottom boy as well, "I'm sure he'll be fine. Better safe than sorry. Mental breakdowns are a little hard to come back from… or so I've heard…"

"Right…" Ron said slowly as he and Hermione left.

* * *

"Well then, Luna, why don't you and I talk about this whole rebirth situation." Harry said more than asked as he retook his seat across from the blonde girl.

"Yes, sir." Luna said, "What is there that you need to know?"

"Let's start with you, agent." Harry said, crossing his legs at the knee, "Name?"

"Elena, sir." Luna answered as Harry smirked.

"Agency?"

"Turks."

"Former appearance?"

"Blonde hair and brown eyes while wearing the standard Turk uniform suit."

"History prior to employment, if any?"

At this, Luna's gaze dropped somewhat as Harry quirked a brow. So, she had a history? Interesting…

"I had a pretty normal life before the Turks, Commander." Luna began slowly, quietly, "My father was a teacher in the Shin-Ra Military Academy. Even my older sister was a member of the Turks. I worked as a bartender in Wall Market during my high school years, and trained at the Military Academy."

"I see…" Harry purred smoothly with a gesture for her to continue, "Go on."

"Well, there isn't much to really tell." Luna said with a shrug as Harry narrowed his glowing emerald eyes, "I sort of followed in my sister's footsteps. Trained with firearms, dropped those classes later on. Took up practicing martial arts instead."

"Okay." Harry said, sitting forward attentively as he saw she wasn't going to readily share her old history. Then again, most of the elite Turks never did, "You said you attended the Shinra Military Academy. What were your finishing scores?"

"Umm…" Luna said, seeming embarrassed as a blush came over her cheeks, "I… I received… mhm hmm…"

"I… didn't quite catch that, even with my impressive hearing." Harry said, steeping his hands with his arms on his knees.

"I received five Elite Emblems…" Luna said as Harry blinked, his eyes wide. While he had never been at the Shinra Military Academy, he had toured it a couple of times, and even sat in on a few classes to scout out future members of the army. From what he remembered, emblems were only given to students who held the highest scores for their exams.

"Impressive." Harry stated truthfully, attempting to reestablish his poise, "Most impressive indeed…"

"Thank you, Commander sir." Luna said, bowing her head slightly.

"So, you must have been considered a prodigy." Harry assumed.

"Well… yes. My obtaining the most Elite Emblems in the school solidified my status as a prodigy and genius among the Academy."

"Anymore of your tale you'd like to share?" Harry asked as Luna looked away from him.

"Perhaps another day… sir." Luna said as Harry nodded. He wouldn't force her, but he had gleamed enough from her to form his hypothesis.

"Which would you prefer; Luna or Elena?" Harry asked softly as Luna looked back at him with a small smile.

"Luna, sir. I like the name." Luna said as Harry nodded.

"Very well." Harry concluded, "It's been nice meeting with you, Luna."

"And with you as well, Commander sir." Luna responded while Harry smirked at her.

"Please, call me Harry. I like the name." Harry said as Luna smirked back.

* * *

The weather remained undecided as they traveled further and further north on the Hogwarts Express. Rain spattered the compartment windows half-heartedly, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before the clouds drifted in the way it once more. When darkness fell and the lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna sighed as she rolled up The Quibbler, putting it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at the two unconscious members of the compartment instead.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Luna asked dreamily, "When they awake, I mean?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Harry said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Zack was always a strong kid, and Neville was getting there slowly as well. Though I have very little experience with Cissinei of the Turks, she was very strong-willed as is Ginny."

"However…" Luna said, sensing the word coming.

"However, if they should not regain conscious before classes begin, then we'll have to entrust their health, both mental and physical, to Madam Pomfrey." Harry said as Luna seemed very worried when Neville began to thrash about lightly as though he were having nightmares.

"We're back!" Hermione announced as she and Ron stepped back into the compartment.

"Still no signs of change, huh?" Ron asked, checking over Neville and Ginny.

"I wouldn't say that. They both seem to be growing more restless every few minutes." Harry said, his glowing eyes staring into Ron's own illuminating orbs, "I believe they are actively experiencing their former life's memories, trying to assimilate the two personalities into one being… or at least, something to that effect."

"Noted." Ron muttered, watching over his sister with an especially close glowing blue eye.

Harry was sitting with his forehead pressed against the train window after an hour of staring at the still unconscious pair. He turned his gaze to try and gain the first distant glimpse of Hogwarts, but the moonless night and the rain-streaked window were too grimy for even his sharp vision to see past.

"We had better change." Hermione said at last, as the conscious members of the compartment all exchanged looks before they opened their trunks and got out their robes.

"I'll take Ginny and dress her somewhere else." Hermione said, opening Ginny's trunk with some difficulty, "Luna, would you help me."

Harry looked to Ron as he saw the red-head and Hermione pinning their Prefect badges carefully to the chests of the school robes. He also watched in amusement as Ron began checking his reflection in the black window.

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down train corridor as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Harry and Luna to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

"I'll carry the owl, if you like." Luna said to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Harry whipped out his wand and animated Neville's body with a spell he barely recalled, making the unconscious boy's eyes snap open before he stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.

"Animation… the wonders of ancient powers…" Harry said with a sigh, handing her the cage while hoisting Hedwig's own cage more securely into his arms.

* * *

Hermione or Ron must have animated Ginny before the girls had come back, because as they shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces, the flame-haired young teen girl had joined them just as they merged with the crowd into the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors as Harry could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. He stepped down on to the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call from Hagrid to round up the First Years.

But it did not come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling out, "First years line up over here, please! All first-years to me! Yes, yes! This way!"

"Oh no, where is Professor Hagrid?" Luna asked as Harry glanced back at her, recalling what he had been told during his time at number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"He's away on an extended mission." Harry informed quietly as Luna nodded, seeming to understand.

"Noted, sir." Luna said as Harry suddenly became ultra-aware of his surroundings, and ducked as a lantern came swinging over his head. Harry moved back a bit, and narrowed his eyes as he and Luna saw by the lantern's light the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.

"Professor…" Harry greeted quietly as the woman frowned at him.

"You're blocking the doorway, Potter." Grubbly-Plank informed as Harry scowled, but stepped out of the way with Luna at his side.

"She could have at least greeted you back, sir." Luna mumbled as Harry found himself amused.

Harry, instead of remaining annoyed, looked around for Ron and Hermione, wanting to know what they thought about the reappearance of Professor Grubbly-Plank, but neither of them was anywhere near him, so he allowed himself to be shunted forwards on to the dark rain-washed road outside the Hogsmeade Station.

It was there that he would see the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Harry glanced quickly at them, turning away to keep a lookout for Ron and Hermione.

But then he did a double-take while arching a brow as he gazed more intently at them.

The coaches were no longer horseless…

In fact, there were these… _creatures_ standing between the carriage shafts. If he had had to give them a name, he supposed he would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them, too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes were white and staring. Wings sprouted from each withering creature; vast, black, leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Harry wondered if it was truly these creatures that had been moving the coaches along and not simply magic moving them along by themselves.

"Where's Pig?" Ron's voice came from right behind Harry smoothly.

"Luna was carrying him as you seemed to simply leave without any means of your animal's transport." Harry said, turning around slowly despite his eagerness to consult Ron about Hagrid's absence. Turning, he noted that Luna was no clue with him… Huh…

"Not sure if you noticed, but Hagrid is gone." Ron said, sounding vaguely worried, "He'd better be okay…"

A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of his cronies including Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, was charming some timid-looking second-year girls out of the way so that he and his friends could get a coach to themselves. Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd.

"Already abusing… his bloody power…" Hermione huffed as Harry and Ron exchanged amused looks.

"I think Draco's more of him abusing his _good_ _looks_ rather than his power as a Prefect." Harry commented as he watched for any sign of Ginny or Luna.

"Yeah well, Pansy Parkinson has been being absolutely foul to the first-years back there. I swear I'm going to report her." Hermione said while looking cross, "She's only had her badge for three minutes, and she's already using it to bully people worse than ever… Harry, where's Crookshanks?"

Harry merely quirked a brow at her, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was my responsibility to look after both your pets after the two of you so suddenly took off in order to… what was it? Basically stand around and look pretty?" Harry snarked, "Next time, perhaps you'll at least give me some warning before this sort of thing happens."

"So…?"

"Ginny's got your cat, and Luna has your owl." Harry said dryly as he turned his friends around, "Here Ginny comes now…"

True to his word, Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks.

"Thank you, Ginny." Hermione said, relieving Ginny of the cat while Harry and Ron exchanged looks. Ginny didn't seem to be under any form of spell any longer. In fact, she seemed perfectly normal…

"Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up…" Hermione suggested as Ron turned on her.

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron whined playfully, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry chuckled smoothly as remained behind with a fuming Ron.

"Hey!" Ron called after her as Hermione turned and gave a smirk.

"I don't care about your pet, I've already got mine!" Hermione teased, sticking her tongue out at him as Harry chuckled even more while Ron looked more amused than angry.

"That's not very nice, nor is it very honorable." Ron said trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.

"What are those beasts pulling the carriages?" Harry asked casually as he nodded toward the horrible horses as the other students surged past them.

"What things?" Ron asked with a funny look.

"Those horse-"

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are, Commander sir." Luna said respectfully as she handed Ron the cage, "He's sweet little owl, sir."

"Er… yeah… he's all right, Miss…?"

"Luna Lovegood, Commander Hewley, sir." Luna introduced herself, shaking Ron's hand firmly as he glanced at Harry, who appeared deeply bemused by the carriages.

"Yes, well, it's a pleasure, I'm sure." Ron said gruffly, "Come on then, let's get in. What were you saying, Harry?"

"Ron?" Harry called as Ron looked to him.

"Yeah, mate?"

"If I were to tell you that I'm seeing strange creatures pulling the carriages to school, would you tell me that I'm seeing things no one else can?"

Ron blinked at the unusual question, but then looked to where Harry was gazing, "Sorry to say it, but I just don't see anything. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm… not sure." Harry responded slowly, "Perhaps my own integration did not go as well as I had believed. Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?" Hermione answered back from inside the carriage while Harry and the others gathered around it. Ginny had apparently found Neville, who was still blank-faced and slightly drooling now.

"Are there creatures that are invisible to some, but not to everyone?" Harry asked as Hermione bit her lip, racking her brain for an answer.

"I don't know… I'm sure there are, but why would they reveal themselves to you and not us?" Hermione asked as Harry could do nothing more than shrug.

"I haven't the slightest idea…" Harry said honestly, though he had initial thought with dread that it was because of Jenova cells and the like.

"Don't worry, sir." Luna reassured him, "You're not going insane. I can see them too."

"You can?" Harry asked dryly with a hint of skepticism to his tone. He wasn't sure what to make of it. From what he had gleamed from on the train ride, Luna Lovegood seemed to believe in several creatures that he'd never heard of. Then again, for all he knew they could all be just as real as their won reincarnation was, "Have they-?"

"They've always been there, pulling the carriages, sir." Luna stated calmly, dreamily, "I've been able to see them since my first day here."

"Ahh!" Neville shouted as he jerked forth, his eyes blinking rapidly while they filled with a warm glow, "Wh-What happened? Where am I?"

"Nice to see you're awake. Have a nice nap?" Ron quipped with a smirk as Neville was still looking around in all directions.

"Ron…" Neville said, but then saw the warm blue glow in Ron's eyes that only one man possessed so purely, "An-Angeal?"

"Not here, Pup." Ron said firmly as Neville, still looking deep confused as to where he was, nodded. Then he turned and gasped.

"What are those things?" Neville asked as he jumped back while Ron only raised a brow while Neville pointed at the thin air in front of the carriage, "Wait… I remember now…"

"So you're saying that you, too, can see these beasts?" Harry asked as Neville nodded slowly.

"Yeah… I remember now… They're called Thestrals…" Neville informed before glancing at Harry. He was about to shout in surprise at seeing those illuminating green eyes which had once been filled with madness and insanity, but bit his tongue to stay quiet.

"You can only see them once you've seen death take place before your own eyes, sir." Luna informed as Harry quirked a brow.

Harry lowered his eyes to the ground as his heart gave a single pang of guilt and sorrow. While he still felt nothing for Cedric's death taking place, he did feel guilt and sorrow for the part in it that he played. He felt pain for how senseless Cedric had died as nothing more than spare to Voldemort's eyes. He sighed, before suddenly realizing that eyes were upon him. The others must have realized that he was thinking of Cedric's demise at the hands of Voldemort… or rather, Peter Pettigrew otherwise known as Wormtail.

"So the two of you have witnessed death as well." Harry asked tonelessly as they clambered into the carriage.

"Yes, sir." Luna said as Neville watched him closely.

"It was my grandfather…" Neville said as they all looked to Luna.

"For me, it was my mother." Luna said casually, "She liked to experiment, and one day when I was nine, one of those went wrong. It was rather horrible." Luna admitted in a conversational sort of tone, as though she were talking about the latest news rather than a deeply traumatic event of her mother's passing.

Hermione actually winced at the information, patting Luna's shoulder as the two sat together, "I'm sorry to hear that." Hermione offered as Luna shrugged.

"I supposed that I'll always feel sad about it sometimes, but I still have my Dad." Luna said as Harry admired her strength to see the bright side of things, "Besides, it's not like I won't see her again after my own death. I'm just glad she didn't come back as a ghost, forever haunting this plane of existence… It would grow to be frightfully dull after a while. Besides, she's with the Lifestream now, and I'm sure the Goddess is watching over her."

Strange though her tone was, Harry felt himself smile. The Lifestream and Mako Energy were both constant reminders that there was an afterlife. When he had died as Sephiroth, he could not remember what he had done in the Lifestream, but at the looks Ron and Neville were exchanging, it was obvious that the two had stayed great friends even in the Lifestream.

Perhaps Angeal had even guided young Zack on his return to the lifeblood of the Planet…

"You're right, Luna Lovegood." Harry agreed, startling the others who had been quite solemn at her words and now surprised that he was both speaking and agreeing with her, "We'll get to see them all again someday in the Lifestream."

"Yeah, now let's get off this subject." Neville said cheerfully while Ron chuckled at the boy, "Enough with all the gloom and doom. Save it for later."

Harry found himself chuckling as they began the ride up to the castle. Neville and Luna told everyone about their summers, while Harry related his experience at the trial and how he and Dumbledore had turned things back around on the Ministry. But all too soon, they had arrived at the castle.

* * *

Exiting the carriage, Harry led the way to the Great Hall, with Ron and Hermione at both his sides while Luna drifted away towards the Ravenclaw table.

Before she went, Harry touched her on the shoulder and gave a simple, whispered, "Thank you."

"Anytime, sir." Luna said with a small smile, and with that Luna pulled away gently and sat down at her table while Harry watched her go.

Harry sighed as he went over to the Gryffindor table, sitting across from Ron, who smiled. Hermione sat beside him while Neville went and sat next to Ron, laughing and joking as he threw an arm over Ron's shoulder while Ron quickly threw him off his person while a barely suppressed smile. Seeing that a member of their group was missing, Harry looked up to see Ginny standing with some fourth-years that must have flagged her down before the red-haired girl managed to get a seat on his other side in front of Neville while Hermione sat in front of Dean Thomas.

Glancing up at the staff table, Harry's eyes widened as he realized once again that Hagrid was missing from the Opening Feast.

"Hagrid's not here." Ginny said as Ron and Hermione looked up suddenly, scanning the staff table as well, though it was clearly evident Ginny had spoken the truth.

"How could you have not noticed? Hagrid's simply too large to miss, being half-giant and all." Harry quipped dryly as Ron and Hermione ignored his remark.

"That's odd…" Hermione murmured, her brows knitting together to figure out this great mystery which Harry already knew the answer to, "You don't think he's… hurt or anything? Do you?"

"No." Harry replied at once, his voice nearly toneless, "He's still on his mission. It just must be taking longer than any of us expected."

"That was the reason I asked my question though." Hermione said as Harry narrowed his eyes slightly.

"And I gave my answer, didn't I?"

"Sorry…" Hermione muttered, "I'm just worried."

"I know." was all Harry said.

Hermione bit her lip, looking unsure if she should further apologize before someone up at the staff table caught her eye, "Who's that?" she suddenly asked sharply, pointing towards the middle.

Harry took a closer look. In the center, in his tall, high-backed golden chair, was Dumbledore, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with stars and a matching hat. Continuing on, Harry saw that Dumbledore seemed to be listening to a squat little woman who was wearing a fluffy pink cardigan that did nothing to detract from her toad-like face… Harry nearly gave a start as he recognized her, but narrowed his eyes.

"It's the woman from my hearing. Umbridge, I think it was. She works for Fudge, and keeps his ego inflated like a balloon of hot air." Harry informed as Ron also narrowed his eyes.

"I guess we don't need to figure out who this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be now." Ron commented, his blue eyes still glancing up at Umbridge, "She doesn't look like much…"

"Near do we." Harry said, and with that they all narrowed their eyes at the woman, not daring to take her lightly.

"Do you know anything about her?" Hermione asked Harry quickly as he racked his brains for a few moments.

"Not really, no. All I know is that the dullard of a woman voted against me…" Harry said, "And that she seems to either really respect Fudge, or at the very least, greatly appeases the fool."

Hermione groaned, "That's not good." she said as Harry arched a brow upward.

"You're bloody well right it's not." Ron agreed sharing a look with Harry, "If she's _firmly_ on Fudge's side, then you can bet your Materia that she's going to do her best to make you recant that Voldemort's back, and make this year absolutely miserable for you."

"I'd like to see her try." Harry snarled like a dangerous lion as his expression darkened while staring up at the woman at the staff table. Perhaps feeling his eyes upon her, she turned to look at him, and the two locked gazes. She smirked, and Harry felt a flash of anger at her, despite her not having done anything yet. He, however, did smirk back at her as he leaned over to his friends.

"So, it's her turn, huh?" Ron chuckled darkly, "I wonder if she knows about your history regarding Defense teachers?"

"What history do you mean?" Harry asked with faux innocence that wasn't fooling anyone, "Do you mean the first one being dead literally be my hand? The one having lost all his memory by his own? The one sacked? Or maybe the one Kissed by dementors?" Harry listed.

"What next? Suicide by Potter?" Neville asked with a laugh as Hermione gave him a look.

"Ron, control him!" Hermione cried out, looking scandalized.

"What? Pup speaks the truth." Ron said pleasantly with a shrug and smirk, "Harry here has had something to do with every single Defense teacher having lost their job since we came here." Ron defended his former student and reborn friend.

"Harsh, but a true statement none the less." Harry mused, ignoring his two best friends, "So far, each of the Defense Professors have left in a way rather ironic to themselves."

"How so?" Ron queried as Harry looked to him.

"Quirrel, who sought the Elixir of Life, died from the life-giving protection my mother left me." Harry started on his index finger, "Lockhart, who had made a living off of Memory Charms, erased his entire life away with the very spell that attributed to his success."

"I get it." Hermione said, "Professor Lupin, who taught us how to defend ourselves against Dark creatures, was revealed to be a Dark creature himself."

"Correct." Harry said with a nod.

"And Crouch Junior?" Neville asked as Ginny looked curious as well.

"He wanted to help resurrect Voldemort, but was Kissed by the very dementors that would soon join under his evil and dark master." Harry said as Ron smirked.

"Ya know, if the trend continues this way, I wonder how Umbridge will go?" Ron said as Neville and Ginny snickered.

"Yeah! Probably eaten by a giant toad or something!" Neville joked as even Harry and Hermione found themselves chuckling at the idea.

"It must be time for the sorting, then." Ginny said as she noticed Professor Grubbly-Plank appear behind the staff table and seat herself in what should have been Hagrid's seat.

"Indeed…" Harry replied as Professor McGonagall opened the Great Hall doors a few seconds later, leading the new first years into the magical dinning room.

* * *

The buzz of talk that had permeated the Great Hall mere moments before now faded, and Professor McGonagall set down the customary stool and the Sorting Hat. The rip on its brim opened wide like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat began to sing its song.

"Branched out a bit, hasn't it?" Ron commented with crossed arms after the Hat's song was sung.

"Yeah…" Harry agreed, looking pensively at the Hat with narrowed green eyes. Usually, the Sorting Hat stuck to describing the qualities sought by the four Houses…

"I don't remember it ever giving out warnings before." Hermione said as Harry didn't either. But then again, he had only been able to be there for two of his four previous years' beginning feasts and Sort ceremonies due to… unfortunate circumstances.

"That's the advice it always gives, when the times are troubled." Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, told them knowledgeably as he drifted by, "Be strong from within, unite the Houses."

"It's not a bad idea." Hermione said in a very thoughtful tone of voice, "If the children are united, then it follows that their parents will as well, for their sake."

Neville snorted as Ron gave him a cross look, "What, An-… I mean, Ron! As if the Slytherins would make nice with us." Neville argued derisively.

Harry frowned at Neville's comment. It rubbed him the wrong way somehow, despite how he could clearly see many of the returning Slytherins glaring in their direction, "You know…" Harry began slowly, "I was nearly sorted into Slytherin in the beginning, Neville. They can't be all bad. Especially not since we now have an agent in their lair, at least."

Neville opened his mouth to answer, but Ron promptly shushed him with a sharp look. Professor McGonagall was starting to call out the names of the new students.

Shortly thereafter, every new student was sitting with their respective House, and Dumbledore rose to address the school.

"To our newcomers, welcome!" the twinkling-eyed Headmaster began with a beaming smile and wide arms, "To our old hands; welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

Harry couldn't help but chuckle and clap his hands with the majority of the students as Dumbledore sat neatly. The man was quite amusing. Harry turned on the bench that he and the others were seated on just in time for a delicious feast to appear on all the tables.

Taking some steak and kidney pie, Harry kept quiet as he listened to Neville talk animatedly with Ron and Hermione, both looking amused with the change in the normally timid boy. Harry, however, found his thoughts wandering to the disgusting fact that the Ministry observing the school just to find further reasons to discredit him and Dumbledore. With Fudge's refusal to admit that Voldemort had returned, Harry already knew that he'd need to work quietly, and especially quietly, to get stronger, make some allies, and try to cripple whatever threats (from Voldemort, the Ministry, and anything else) he could.

At the last thought, Harry found his eyes fixed on Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table. As if Harry's gaze were a magnet, Draco looked away from his plate and locked glowing eyes with his archrival. The platinum blond smirked again like he had on the train before flipping his hair back arrogantly. Harry found himself scoffing at the boy's flamboyant and slyly charming nature.

That was completely the charm of Genesis Rhaposodos, and yet, with the same sophisticated flare of Draco Malfoy…

"Arrogant little tart, ain't he?" on asked, having seen the quiet exchange between Harry and Malfoy.

"Yes…" Harry replied quietly with a small soft smile, "Yes he is…"

Harry sighed as he focused his mind on the thought of reincarnation. He was still Sephiroth, and he feared that he would never be able to properly repent for his insane actions all those years ago before his death at the hands of Cloud Strife while having his memories of that time. True, there were still large gaps in his memory of the past life, but he did remember that he was Sephiroth and he shivered as he remembered his last actions before death.

How was he to recant for those actions when he could no longer be at peace in the Lifestream, or live the simple chaotic life of Harry Potter?

Harry was interrupted on his mental subject of rebirth and what was best for him when his superior hearing heard the ridiculous way that Umbridge cleared her throat. He glared slightly as h looked up to see the stout woman rise to her feet… right in the middle of Dumbledore's speech! That was a shock for everyone as Ron and even his own eyes were just as wide as everyone else's eyes.

Dumbledore looked a little taken aback, but recovered gracefully as he sat down smartly, attentively watching the Ministry representative as though he would love nothing more than to listen to her speak. The other teachers, however, Harry noticed, were not nearly so composed in their reactions toward the blatant form of disrespect aimed at their Headmaster. Professor McGonagall's lips were no longer visible to the normal eye as Harry saw that they had thinned so much so that they were only a line to be seen. Professor Flitwick, and even Snape and Professor Sinistra, were outright staring incredulously before Snape coolly school his features and sat back impassively.

Glancing around the Great Hall, Harry saw nothing but confused and wary (mostly from Slytherin table) looks directed toward Umbridge and some his way as well, though he didn't know why. But apparently his matching expression of aloof surprise was enough of an answer for them, as they turned once more to Umbridge.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, her falsity not unnoticed by all those that could notice, "for those kind words of welcome."

Harry glanced at Ron, who was staring incredulously up at Umbridge.

"Ange- I mean, Ron… Did I miss something?" Neville asked as Ron regained his composure.

"No, Pup." Ron said, a grimace on his face, "We've just entered the _nauseating_ void of politics."

"You think so?" Harry asked quietly as Ron only nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as his gaze settled once again on Umbridge. Harry, too, turned back to the woman, paying close attention to her words. Sure, he hadn't _actually_ been paying attention to Dumbledore's _actual_ words, but he hardly wanted to miss anything this dullard of a woman said now that even _Ron_ wanted to hear.

Umbridge cleared her throat again, apparently only a little taken aback by the stark silence and stares the children gave her, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled widely, but it struck Harry as very false and subtly forced, "And to see all your bright… happy… little faces… looking up at me!"

"Okay, she has to be completely blind." Neville deadpanned as Ron smacked him in the back of the head, but Harry had to agree with the excitable boy's words. Plus, the simpleton was speaking down to them like they were five years old.

She would pay for that one day, a dark whisper in the back of Harry's mind said as he smirked darkly.

"You said it, Neville." Seamus whispered over to him as Neville smiled, only to be hit again while others around them were mumbling and nodding in agreement.

Hearing the noise and seeing their movements, Umbridge's attention was drawn toward them, or more specifically, toward Harry. Harry met her brazen gaze stolidly and unflappably, daring her to comment as his eyes glowed darkly. She shivered at the ominous glow to his emerald orbs, and after a few moments of the staring contest, broke the stalemate and looked in the complete other side of the room while readdressing the school in her dull, rehearsed tone, as though she'd memorize her speech for just this moment and for purpose.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction." Umbridge said with her falsely sweet smile, "The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Harry and Ron exchanged narrowed glances as they noticed how _Professor_ Umbridge deliberately paused and made a little bow to her now fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her and few who gave disgusted looks better hidden than others. McGonagall and Snape, much to Harry and Ron's surprise, seemed to be in unconscious synchronization as identical expressions of white lips firmly pressed together in thin lines showed. It looked as though the two accredited teachers were struggling to hold back whatever they wanted to say, and their furrowed brows that obviously meant that they were displeased but unable to do anything about it at the present.

The reason for Harry knowing what their looks meant? He'd seen the look often enough on their faces whenever he was at the center of trouble, which was to say; very often during the school year.

Harry was once again interrupted in his thoughts as Umbridge once more cleared her throat with that annoying "Hem, Hem" of hers. She opened her mouth to continue her spiel.

"I think someone needs a damn cough-drop." Neville muttered mutinously, unable to help himself while Ron sighed and Harry quirked an amused brow with a small smirk. Harry found himself agreeing with the formerly rookie Second-Class officer in the Shinra Armed Forces as Umbridge had made that extremely irritating sound of clearing her throat several times in the last few minutes.

Harry's smirk fell as he found himself annoyed with her continuation as he could think of an entire plethora of better things to do than to listen to one of Fudge's Undersecretaries and now Ministry representatives give pointlessly lengthy speeches that threatened to bore him _and_ everyone else in the Great Hall into oblivion.

Hermione, for once, didn't even spare any of them a glance. Looking to her, Harry saw that she was staring avidly at Umbridge as though she were trying to puzzle out something. The last time Harry had seen such a look on her face, it was when she was figuring out what the monster of the Chamber of Secrets was.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historically and educationally-exemplary school. And that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay." Umbridge said, moving across the platform which the staff table sat upon while gazing over the crowd of students, "There again, progress for progress's sake must be _discouraged_, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation, because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment."

"What exactly is she playing at with this?" Ron asked in a deep rumble as he leaned over to Harry, who barely cast him a glance, but was giving him his attention.

I don't know, but the idiocy spouting forth from her mouth is beginning to give me a headache." Harry quipped dryly as Ron grinned a little.

"Progress for progress's sake must be discouraged?" Ginny echoed skeptically as she narrowed her eyes, a sparking glow in them, "Progress is only ever done because of a discovered flaw."

"Again I ask: What is she playing at?" Ron said as they all watched the stout woman in pink move upon while gazing over how well received her last statements were.

"Hem, hem…" Umbridge cleared her throat as Harry felt his eye give the barest of a twitch in annoyance, "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

"Pruning practices that ought to be prohibited…?" Harry heard Hermione mutter as he looked to her.

"It means that she'll most likely be deciding what we can and can't learn here at school." Harry said as Hermione turned to him, meeting his eyes with a look of abstract horror, but then a look of understanding came across her face as she recalled something and came to the conclusion.

"The Educational Decrees…" Hermione breathed as Harry nodded, seeing that she was catching on. It felt so surreal with him being a step ahead of her and watching her figure things out which he understood almost instantly.

Harry, however, also had to give the Ministry some points for their little scheme. As with the Educational Decrees getting Umbridge in, it also gave the Ministry a way to watch Hogwarts, get an agent inside Hogwarts, and the power to create and enforce other Educational Decrees without it seeming too suspicious and insane.

"_Though it's me they're going against_…_ and Dumbledore, too_._ These poor dullards are going to end up crushed and defeated beyond their most far-reaching nightmares_." Harry thought as a dark grin came over his face, "_They may be trying to reduce Dumbledore's power as much as possible, and punish me for telling the truth, but these fools let out one important fact when factoring in me as their adversary; I'm the One-Winged Heartless Angel, and all fall before me in the end_."

Even with that in mind, Harry still found himself subtly clenching his fists under the table as he glared at Umbridge. He'd had it with the Ministry's foolishness, and he wanted nothing more than for the amphibian-like woman to be gone.

Shifting his gaze over to rest on the other teachers, he was slightly amused to see Professor McGonagall looked almost angry, and that Snape's mouth had twisted into a derisive sneer. Professor Sprout's face was a mask of unpleasant surprise, while Dumbledore's own expression gave near to nothing away, though Harry took notice of how the ever-present twinkle in the aged Headmaster's eyes had diminished significantly.

Umbridge had sat down, and Harry fell back into his normal routine of pensive thought while Dumbledore and the other teachers gave only a couple of claps. The students themselves seemed to have been suffering greatly from their boredom and some were even taken completely by surprise that it was finally over, as not one of the students applauded.

* * *

Harry was barely aware when Dumbledore dismissed the school, automatically rising from his seat as others did the same.

Hermione leapt up from beside him, breaking his thoughts as she shouted at Ron, "Ron! We're supposed to bring the First-years to the common room!"

"Oh yeah… !" Ron said, crossing his arms.

"Here, let me help." Neville said before he stood leaning over the Gryffindor table, "Oi! Oi, you lot! Midgets! Prefects over here, midgets!"

"Thanks…" Ron said dryly as Neville gave a bright smile.

"Neville, you can't call them that." Hermione scolded before turning kindly to the new students of their House, "First-years! Yes, First-years, follow us please!"

"But they're so small…" Neville whispered to Harry and Ginny, "There's no way we were ever that small."

"You still can't call them that." Ginny said, though the look of amusement on her face betrayed her.

Harry grinned at a pair of particularly small First-years. They looked terrified as they gazed up at him, hurrying away and whispering to each other while somewhat more pale than before. Harry's grin fell instantly. "It was nice chatting with you, too…" he muttered dryly before he turned on heel and set off out of the hall.

* * *

"My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I?" a voice behind him asked as Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy leaning coolly against the wall next to a suit of armor.

"Loveless: Act Three." Harry identified as Draco smiled.

"So, you remembered?" Draco asked as Harry merely smirked before tapping at his temple.

"How could I not, when you've beaten it into my head." Harry said as Draco nodded.

"It's good to have you back, old friend." Draco said as Harry smiled.

"I didn't realize I had gone anywhere you could not follow." Harry quipped with his dry sense of sarcastic humor, "Forgive me for not getting you a souvenir."

"Okay." Draco said with an arrogant smirk, "You're forgiven."

"How pompous." Harry commented as Draco shrugged.

"You say pompous, I say prideful within proper and reasonable perimeters." Draco countered as Harry smiled visibly so.

"I missed this." Harry said quietly so that only Draco could hear as they began to walk, "I think… I think that even when I was unaware of our rebirth, I missed it. Did you?"

"I think it was the reason I continued to dog and scorn you after you refused my hand in friendship." Draco said airily as Harry scoffed. Even now in rebirth, Genesis could never be direct in his responses.

"So what do we do now, Commander-in-Chief?" Draco asked, stopping at the staircase while Harry chuckled, the sound of his amusement still as wondrous as it was back in the days of Shinra because of just how rare it was heard by others.

"Funny, very funny." Harry commented, "Angeal called me Commander-General, and Elena of the Turks continues to call me sir and Commander. I, however, don't recalled being called by those titles by either of you or Angeal in our last times together."

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Draco said vaguely with a smirk as he tossed his hair back.

"We need to establish all of those that have been re-awoken by the Goddess." Harry said, his tone serious as Draco nodded.

"We also need to figure out if this is the Planet or another one. As I remember correctly, only the Cetra and those descended from their race were able to use magic without Materia." Draco said, his glowing grey eyes narrowing in thought, "Also, we must regain our former prowess and weaponry."

"Why?" Harry asked, a brow raised, "While I toyed with the idea on the way up to the school, it doesn't seem necessary to deal with the dullards that lull and lurk upon this Planet. Not even against that fool Voldemort."

"Perhaps…" Draco breathed before turning to Harry with a pout, "But I simply cannot live a life without my rapier."

"Oh, you mean the rapier you so creatively and affectionately named… Rapier?" Harry asked dryly as Draco's pout grew.

"Yes! That one! I need my baby." Draco whined, "Oh, and my book! I need my Loveless."

"I believe I have a copy of that one." Harry said as Draco's eyes lit up in a way that was not the unconscious surge of energy which dwelled just under their surfaces, "But enough of this banter. So, we have our starting points."

"Yes." Draco said, a hand gently resting on the staircase's banner, "We must find out who all were reborn, if we're on the Planet, and regain our lost prowess and weapons."

"That last one is still debatable." Harry said firmly, "We have been reborn, not repeated. This is a new age for us, not one to bring about the same tired routines."

"Okay, I'll admit that sounds like a reasonable argument." Draco conceded, but moved closer to Harry so they no more than a breath away, "But I'm also concerned that your main reason for not wanting to regain such is because… you're afraid that you'll fall back into the spell of insanity you had before…"

Harry's eyes flashed as he glared daggers at Draco, who seemed unfazed and even confident as always that he was right, "You weren't even alive during that. The way I hear it, you died in a field with your pride as SOLDIER."

"Tales of my demise were greatly exaggerated." Draco replied softly, though his tone was full of mirth, "I was rescued and restored by some rebels. I then placed myself in a sealing sleep until it was my time to fulfill the role of the hero in our tale."

"Still only motivated by your own pride and lost there of, huh?" Harry asked, "How petty."

"Perhaps." Draco said, "But you'll not distract me from the truth. We all have our faults, Sephiroth. One of your own is that you don't easily let go of the past; whether it was that of your supposed mother's, or your own."

Harry flinched at the mention of that… that _thing_ which had claimed to be his mother and puppeted his insanity and actions, even when he had been killed and his soul within the Lifestream.

No… he could not allow that to happen again… He _would not_ allow it…

"I can see it in your eyes." Draco said, sighing dramatically, "Your soul, corrupted by vengeance… Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey… In your own salvation-"

"Still you quote Loveless." Harry snapped irritably as Draco only smirked wider, "Even in rebirth you never change."

"Perhaps…" Draco said airily while tossing his hair back arrogantly, "But do not worry, my friend. For you are beloved by the Goddess. You are Hero of the Dawn… Healer of Worlds…"

Harry said nothing, even though he was greatly surprised when Draco laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze of both comfort and friendly affection. Draco, nor Genesis were particularly intimate people, but just like himself, the two-in-one only showed so when they felt truly elated or truly concerned.

And Harry had to bitterly and begrudgingly be aware that Draco was the latter of the two emotions… Ugh, concerned for him… It sickened him deeply as he felt it would be too close to pity had it been anyone else.

Thankfully, neither Draco nor Genesis ever showed pity for anyone or anything, and Harry amusingly mused that the red-head turned blond didn't know how to feel such an emotion.

* * *

The two didn't talk anymore as Draco walked with Harry until they were around the corner from his House entrance.

"Remember what I said, Potter." Draco said, though with no bite, and even a trace of worry in his voice as Harry nodded firmly. He would.

In fact, he had a lot of thinking over to do…

Draco and he parted ways as Harry made his way through the crowded castle towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Hmm… Err…" said Harry when he reached the portrait, only to realize that he didn't know the new password.

"No password, no entry." the Fat Lady said sternly as Harry felt his ire rise for his situation. Typical… He knew that he should have followed his friends when they were guiding the First-year brats up to the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Something wrong?" Neville asked, his eyes lingering warily on Harry as he didn't quite _blame_ the boy for the caution when alone around him. The last time they had met before rebirth, he had given young Zackary Fair one most sound and insane-driven beating, as though the boy was nothing more than a foot soldier instead of his equal in rank.

But then again, he was, or rather, _had_ _been_ Sephiroth, so it made sense no matter what way you put it…

"I don't have the password." Harry said, casting a glance at the strange cactus Neville was now carrying.

"Oh, that's an easy one." Neville said, puffing his chest out proudly, "So long as you don't go insane and try to kill me again."

Harry, seeing that the boy was trying to get over his fear, smirked lightly, "I think I can manage that."

"Good, now stand aside and let the Zack Man-… ugh… I mean, the Nev, take care of everything!" Harry raised an eyebrow, but did step aside as Neville stepped up to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Password." she asked as Neville grinned, holding up his strangely moving cactus.

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" Neville said as though he were intoning some ancient power instead of pride in his Herbology skills. Harry's brow quirked even higher when the portrait swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room.

"How amusing." Harry said, entering after Neville, "Our password is the name of a secreting cactus… what joy will I have remembering that…" Harry quipped dryly before waving goodnight to his friends in the common room and making his way up to the Fifth-year boy's dorm room. He wanted to some peace and quiet for the rest of the night, and his fellow Housemates weren't going to give him it if he didn't act quickly and get up to the room.

However, that plan failed as it seemed that Dean and Seamus had apparently made it in before him, and had just started digging posters out of their trunks. Dean was pulling out a Muggle football poster, but Harry was more curious about why they'd suddenly stopped talking. His superior sense of hearing had heard their voices on the way up, but as soon as the door had opened they had silenced. He toyed with the thought that it might have been a personal and private conversation, but in the end he shrugged as he really didn't care too much and he had bigger and better things to worry about.

* * *

"Hello." Harry greeted disinterestedly, almost as though he was distracted.

"Hey, Harry. How was your summer?" Dean asked as Harry was about to go with the automatic "fine", but decided to actually be truthful for once.

"It was horrid." Harry said dryly, arching a brow, "And yours, Dean?"

"Umm… It was… It was alright…" Dean said, a bit taken back by both Harry's answer and from not truly having expected such an answer, "Wh-Why was it so horrid?"

"Well, I was attacked by dementors in the muggle neighborhood I live," Harry said shortly as he opened his trunk, "Then the Ministry tried to expel me for using underage magic to protect myself and my cousin from said dementors, but then when I inquired about it, they put me to trial by the entire Wizengamot."

Dean's jaw dropped and Seamus turned around with a strange expression, one that Harry couldn't readily decipher as he only glanced up to gauge their reactions, but he could tell it was obvious a tone of incredulous.

"You're kidding!" Dean shouted, "R-Right?"

"I wish I were. But sadly… that it not the case." Harry said dispassionately as he flipped up the back of his robes to sit on the edge of his bed, relaxing for a moment before he went to do his nightly rituals of hygiene, "That dullard, _Minister_ Fudge, didn't believe that there had been dementors there."

"Why not?" Seamus asked, a look of slightly skepticality on his face.

"Well, why would he?" Harry threw back with barely any emotion in his tone, "After all, they're supposed to be under the Ministry's control. Worse yet, there wasn't exactly any proof that the dementors had been there. No one got Kissed, and the only ones attacked were me and my cousin. I'm just glad that Dumbledore was there at the trial, even though Fudge changed the time of the trial on the morning of it." Harry said, fudging the truth a bit so as not to bring much more attention to himself than he already was. He hadn't actually needed Dumbledore, but it had been a good thing the man was there to restrain him from mass murder of a room filled with dullards and shrews.

Seamus laughed humorlessly, taking Harry for a joke but while seeing the look on the famous boy's face, also could not, "Looks like you and I are both lucky to be coming back to Hogwarts this year."

That caused Harry quirk a brow highly, his gaze resting on Seamus, who wasn't looking at him, but pulling on his pajamas.

"What?" Harry asked, not sure why he was so shocked by that small tip of information. Seamus not coming back to Hogwarts? It seemed also criminal now that Harry thought about it.

"Me mum didn't want me coming back to Hogwarts." Seamus answered as Harry's brow only rose higher. Why would his mother not want him to come back to Hogwarts. He had to admit, even though he ran into danger every single year, for everyone that stayed away from him, Hogwarts couldn't be a more safe place.

"Why?" Harry asked as though he were bored, but the two boys were catching on quickly as they heard the incredulous and shocked undertone.

"Well… because of you, I suppose…" Seamus replied calmly, his head bowed without meeting Harry's gaze as if he were ashamed to admit it.

Harry only sighed, "So… your mother believes the Daily Prophet to be true, and now harbors the idea that I am an attention-seeking liar, and that Dumbledore's an old fool past his time? Am I correct, Seamus?"

Seamus fidgeted for a few moments before shrugging, still looking down at his feet like a scolded child who had done wrong, "Yeah… Something like that…" Seamus muttered before looking up, "But I don't believe it!"

"And why not, Seamus?" Harry asked curiously, allowing his tone to show it as he leaned forward.

"Well, it seems like every year or so people have some different theory about you they believe in. Sorta like the muggles in America got with their celebrities." Seamus said, kicking at the floor as he finally looked up to meet Harry's gaze. Harry supposed that he was the closest thing the Wizarding World had to a celebrity, if not anything else.

"And…?" Harry drawled as Seamus sighed.

"It's just getting stupid at this point. I mean, in Second year we all thought you were the heir to Slytherin, and at least we had some form of solid proof to that with you being able to talk to snakes and all." Seamus said as Harry shrugged, "Nearly everyone reads the Daily Prophet, and most just prefer to believe what's written there, but I'm no sheep, Harry. That woman, Rita Skeeter, works for the Prophet, and she wrote some pretty untrue stuff last year. She also ran a piece on me and Dean being in love with each other before Hermione got her to back off. I heard you and Dumbledore last year, and if you both say that Voldemort is back, then he is. We're all behind ya, Harry."

"Yeah, mate." Dean said, even though he still looked flustered from that previous comment about him and Seamus nearly being prey for Skeeter's gossip column, "We're behind ya all the way, man. After four years of rooming with you, I think we'd know better than to think that you'd just lie about something for attention's sake."

"Very well said." Harry replied, nodding, "The both of you."

"Thanks." Seamus said, then bowed his head as he added in solemn tone, "Plus, we didn't believe you about not putting your name into the Goblet of Fire last year, and look where that got us…"

Harry said nothing as he got up from his bed to put on his night clothes. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke.

"I'm glad you two can think for yourselves rather than having a newspaper do the thinking for you." Harry said, smiling lightly at his two dorm mates, "In the fight against Voldemort and such, I'll need people like you two."

"Yeah." Seamus said, his eyes lighting up in excitement at the thought of fighting alongside Harry. Dean, too, had the same look.

"Yes." Harry confirmed, "And I'm proud to say that if I should ask of anyone to join me in that fight, you two will be some of the first I ask."

"We'll be there for ya, Harry." Dean said as Seamus nodded.

"I'm glad to hear it." Harry said, pulling back the hangings of his bed, "Though if anyone suspicious asks what I just told you; this conversation never occurred. Correct?"

"Affirmative, Commander." Dean and Seamus quipped amusingly, falling into a pretend line-up and saluting him as he got into bed.

"Good. Now at ease, soldiers." Harry said with a soft chuckle, "Good night… Seamus Finnegan… Dean Thomas…"

"Good night, Harry." the two said as they pulled back the curtains and got into their own beds.

Harry smiled in his sleep… glad to have two more in the fight against evil.


	6. Glowering Recollections

**Chapter 6: Glowering Recollections**

* * *

Harry glowered down at his breakfast the next morning, stabbing at it and scowling deeply. His dreams last night had not revealed anything useful to him, and waking early for a stroll had turned out to be a bad idea as he ran straight into Draco, who proceeded to only pester him about "getting back into shape" and "regaining lost glory and honor" before annoyingly quoting more "_Loveless_"…

Honestly, the bloody blond had sounded like Angeal!

And then there was Angeal himself… ugh… Harry didn't even want to think about Ron, who sat across from him actually _agreeing_ with the crazy blonde about regaining their weapons and finding a proper place to "reclaim their former zen" which was Angeal's kind code for "we need to train NOW!"

Plus, now even Seamus and Dean were hyped on the idea that they would be practicing spells once they got settled into their classes. He should have simply let them all rot and went back to sleep when he woke up…

In the Great Hall, Harry noticed that, once again, Hagrid was absent. He was starting to get slightly worried for his half-giant friend. He also half-listened to when Angelina came to tell him (rather abrupt and rudely) about Quidditch tryouts to replace Oliver Wood, who had graduated, before Fred and George came to talk about their starting a joke shop, to which Harry kept them from mentioning his own involvement in such with only a slight glare.

Now though, Ron was back to pestering him about the idea of training… Ugh… He had tried to change the conversation to OWLs and even inter-house unity, but to no avail.

"So, have you decided?" Ron asked, seated across from him as Harry scowled at his half-eaten breakfast.

"Why must we fall into the routine of being so cliché that we would want that training again? If I recall correctly, it was pure and simple scientific hell we went through." Harry said smoothly as he leveled Ron with a flat look.

"Oh come on, Seph." Ron said, leaning back, "You don't fool any of us for a moment. We all can see the real reason for why you don't want to train with us."

"And what, _prey_ tell, is that?" Harry asked, steeping his hands together as his gaze remained fixatedly disinterested.

"You're afraid of becoming what you once were." Ron said, crossing his arms, "You think you'll become this all-powerful, unstoppable, insane killing force that will usher in a thousand years of darkness."

Harry merely arched a single brow so far up that he wasn't sure if it was still attached to his forehead, "While some of that may be true, I'm not exactly sure about the thousand years of darkness. I'm rather fond of seeing rainbows, you see…"

"But you have nothing to worry about." Ron continued on as though Harry hadn't made a sarcastic quip, "This time around none of us are going to go off… at least, not without you…"

"That wasn't my concern, because my answer still remains no." Harry said, not even sure what he was truly speaking against anymore. Was it really to the training, or… was it to reliving the past?

The past where his mother had been a failed calamity which had tried to destroy the Planet through him and his form…

"Just please, Seph-… _Harry_, just think about it." Ron said as Harry nodded, glad that Ron had stopped using his former name for now.

* * *

When the bell rang, Harry rose from the table without a single backward glance at his friends, knowing they'd be at his heels, falling into stride on either side of him.

Harry sighed as even his attention-span was barely held in History of Magic, which was easily the most boring subject devised by wizarding-kind. Professor Binns, their ghost of a teacher, had this wheezy, drone-like voice that was almost like a Materia which guaranteed to enchant those that heard it into severe drowsiness within ten minutes. The specter Professor never deviated from Goblin Rebellions and Giant Wars. He never varied the form of their lessons either. No, the ghostly old man only lectured to them without pause while they took notes, or rather, gazed sleepily into space. Harry and Ron, in previous years, had so far managed to scrape passes in the subject only by copying Hermione's notes before exams; she alone seemed able to resist the soporific power that was Binns' voice.

Harry noticed that Ron was trying hard to fight sleep on their first day back. He, himself, simply kept to hearing whatever he thought was important while Hermione's hand seemed a blur as she wrote. Sometimes, her eyes left the parchment she was writing on to write while she gazed up at Binns with rapt attention as though he and his ghostly-wheezed words were some form experiment that needed intense observation.

Could Hermione Granger have been reborn as one of the Shin-Ra scientists…?

"Pup, you awake over there?" Ron asked through a yawn as Harry raised a brow and glanced back, seeing Neville completely asleep and drooling while they both grinned a bit at each other, shaking their heads in amusement.

"It isn't the poor boy's fault." Harry said, suppressing a yawn of his own, "Even I barely have the sheer willpower to stay awake in this façade they call a class."

"You don't like Professor Binns?" Ron asked, not caring as Binns was still droning on.

"Not particularly, no." Harry admitted, "His voice is like Song, that Materia we once found."

"Oh, the one that put those townspeople to sleep at exactly eight-thirty p.m." Ron said, nodding as he understood, "Yeah, but Binns could put most to sleep in ten minutes."

"I'd wager five minutes; given warm weather." Harry quipped as Ron grinned, the two chuckling quietly before Hermione shushed at them with a rather cross look, as though making her miss even a single moment of information was plenty for death.

* * *

After History of Magic came Potions, Harry's least favorite class to date. He strolled up to the class as he normally did, though apparently he hadn't as he turned quite a few heads with his non-awkward stance and stride.

Had he really been so shy and tense all these years around his so-called peers…? Apparently…

"Well now, isn't this a treat." Draco said, smirking as he came up to Harry, "Not able to stay away from my spectacular presence, are we? Come, you may bask in the glory that is now Draco Malfoy."

"Hooray! Malfoy is here!" Hermione sarcastically cheered with an unenthusiastic whirl of her index finger, "O happy Frabjous day!Callooh! Callay!"

"Hmm…" Harry piped up as though he hadn't been paying attention, suddenly looking to Draco in a passive interest, "Did thous slay the Jabberwock, my friend?"

Draco looked unimpressed, even though he held confusion in his eyes while Ron and several of the students around them chuckled with muffled laughter, "I'm slain greater things than whatever this Jibber-wick nonsense."

"Yes, and your mighty vorpal blade went snicker-snack. You left the beasts dead, and after that did you come galumphing back." Harry said dryly as Hermione and Ron chuckled into each other, though broke apart blushing when they saw what they had unintentionally done.

"Enough of this." a voice drawled behind the crowd of students, who parted quickly for whoever the voice belonged. Harry turned and didn't bother to hide his grimace as he saw Snape coming toward them, "Everyone inside."

The door to the potion's classroom unlocked and every student was ushered in, but before Draco went in, Snape stopped him with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as the only ones behind him, "A word of advise, Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, sir?" Draco asked as Snape gave him an impassive look.

"Beware the jabberwocky, Mr. Malfoy. You're no match for it." Snape said as Draco's jaw momentarily dropped.

"Excuse you, sir?" Draco growled as Snape suddenly smirked at the fury laced in Draco's tone.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son. The jaws that bite, the claws that catch. Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch." Snape said, his voice a near monotone, though the smirk he held showed all the amusement that needed conveying while Draco seethed on the spot. Harry chuckled a bit, knowing that Genesis had always hated being told to beware anything like it was an affront to his pride as a warrior.

"I'll kill these creatures- _whatever_ they are, and then you'll see." Draco sneered venomously at Snape, who Harry expected to reprimand the blond, but the normally dour man only smirked wider as Draco stormed into class, shooting anyone that dared look at him fiery glares, "You'll all see!"

"You must not be yourself today, Snape." Harry said, testing his own luck in the face of the Potions Professor's new mood. Harry glanced to Snape, noting that he was nearly the same height with the man as Snape turned to him. Harry had to raise an eyebrow at the unexpected look he received. Snape was smirking at him and his eyes were glowing slightly.

"I'm feeling much more complete than I have in years now that you're all finally awake, Commander Sephiroth." Snape said as Harry wanted to gape, but knew that it was rather unclothe to do so, and he was no useless dullard. He settled for a slight widening of his eyes and a raised brow as he kept his gaze on the potions master.

"Who are you? SOLDIER? Turk? Shinra scientist? Other?" Harry asked as he allowed Hermione and Ron to step inside before him, both shooting the bat-like teacher curious glances. Snape only smirked again, this one more cruel than it was amused.

"Now that would be telling, Commander." Snape said, turning from him as his robes whipped behind him and the door closed with a slam as Harry made his way to his seat.

Harry silently observed the strange sight of seeing Snape so… non-hostile toward everyone in class as he started off with a roll call. The other students were wary of this new development as well, as they all kept exchanging idiotic looks of confusion with each other as though the person next to them would suddenly have the answer.

"This year, and every year here after, I shall be teaching things differently." Snape said as he sat aside his roll for the day and stalked the classroom, "There will be no more foolishness in this class. No more throwing things into each other's cauldrons. No more obnoxiously loud remarks or shoving. We are a class. Grow up, and work together. Either that, or get out because I don't have the time nor the patience to teach nimrods how to breathe again."

A student raised their hand as Snape did his eyebrow, "Yes."

"Umm… why would you need to teach us how to breathe again?" the student asked as Snape gave the boy a flat look.

"Because I'm going to see to it that after today, if you disrupt my class with any nonsense, you won't breathe again in life." Snape said, and with that he turned away from them with a swish of his robes as chalk began writing their potion down, "This isn't rocket science and it certainly isn't mako research. Follow the instructions and none should fail… Correct?"

Everyone nodded, Neville more determinately than anyone else, "Good, now pair up and begin your potions: the Draught of Peace, which comes up a lot on OWLs." Snape said mildly as he watched the students set out to choose partners and get to work, throwing Harry a small smirk before moving through students to observe.

Harry once again found himself silently observing the classroom as Snape went around commenting and correcting students within his class in what they were doing that was wrong from the instructions and why.

* * *

When at long last the bell rang, Harry was the first out of the dungeon and hung by the door to catch his friends, though mostly Ron and Neville, who would have Divination with him next after lunch.

"Well, Professor Snape certainly seemed different." Ron said off-handedly as Harry and Neville nodded, Hermione in front of them.

"He was rather calm and likeable today." Hermione commented, glancing back at Harry, "He didn't even move against you. He seemed vaguely… uninterested…"

They entered the Great Hall, which didn't seem to reflect the nonchalant mood with it's dreariness until Ron and Neville both started with their questions on training and reclaiming.

"Listen!" Harry hissed in irritation, "Whenever Sirius finds us information on the Planet and the Lifestream, that is when I shall make my decision."

"But-" Neville started up, but wilted back at Harry's blazing emerald glare.

"End of discussion." Harry ground out and Neville shut his mouth as he and Ron nodded.

"I can't believe this schedule." Ron said, "History of Magic, Double Potions, lunch, and then Divination with Trelawney and Double Defense with Umbridge. This is the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"No kidding." Neville agreed, "It's a sad day when Trelawney and Binns are the highlights of your day."

Harry chuckled at that, steeping his hands as he leaned forward, "Thankfully, Snape is up to being civil. Perhaps his agitation has worn to those in their fifth year?"

"Or maybe he thinks that OWLs will be enough torture." Hermione said, looking as though the idea had merit.

"No, there's something different about Snape." Ron said sagely, looking at Harry, "A glowing in his eyes that I know and recognize from somewhere…"

"What? Are the voices reaching out?" Harry asked dryly, "Singing; _la, la, la, la_?"

"I'm serious." Ron said as Harry leaned back, crossing his arms.

"So am I." Harry shot back as Ron sighed before Harry did as well, "Look, I don't know why, but I've found my agitation rising within the last few weeks. Like a constant ringing in my ears. Luckily, it doesn't get to me as greatly as it would had I been… normal…"

Ron didn't say anything, but sighed again, crossing his own arms as he gazed up at the enchanted ceiling, which had turned an even murkier grey than during the morning. Rain was now lashing the high windows.

"So what now?" Neville asked as Ron glanced over to him.

"I'll speak with Genesis." Ron said, meeting Harry's eyes before glancing at Hermione, "The three of us will meet up at some point today or tomorrow. Maybe sit together for a class or something."

"Right…" Harry drawled as Ron gave him an annoyed look, both dancing around the fact that Genesis, their once auburn-haired poetic friend was now their blond-haired nemesis for the past four years.

"It'll be okay. Have faith; in both yourself and us." Ron said, touching Harry's shoulder across the table.

"That I have no problem doing." Harry said, getting up, "It's the reality of my past that haunts me. _That_ is where the problems derive from."

Harry left the Great Hall, walking toward Divination where he sat in a thoughtful and reflective silence at the base of the silver ladder which led up into the tower room that was the Divination classroom.

* * *

Divination with Trelawney… ugh… it was so cliché that Harry didn't even want to recall it. Though he had to admit that Draco would have simply loved to see the woman in "_Loveless: The Play_". He wondered how the blond would take to Trelawney, though knew Genesis had always been a sucker for palm-readers and mystics that could convey his future. He had once spent his entire paycheck on hiring a personal psychic to ride into battle with him in the early stages of the Wutai War, though thankfully it had been only once, and on a mission with Angeal and not him.

Thankfully!

"_This woman truly is a character_…" Harry thought as he scowled at the woman while she spoke dramatically, mystically, "… _in more ways than one_…"

He turned from the woman as she seemed to float about the room. He now stared out the window as he was made to sit in the heat of Trelawney's classroom. He refused to call such a woman a Professor and refused to believe this palm-reading, dream-interpreting foolishness was an actual class other than a filler for him to get real work done while obtaining an easy grade.

Of course, no one looking at him would have ever guessed that he was almost on the verge of sleep. He sat suavely within his seat, legs crossed at the right knee under the table while his left hand rested lightly against the table and the other on his thigh. Harry had been finding himself doing things subconsciously with his left hand now, remembering that he had been left-handed to ambidextrous in his past life as Sephiroth. Never the les, he was a perfect picture of charm, and though he was a bit sleepy, he was still quite alert.

"Interpreting dreams… tsk hmph…" Ron said, scoffing, "What we've been dreaming doesn't need sharing nor understanding. They're memories, not dreams."

"Noted." Harry said, listening in on conversations, looking out for tidbits of information that would benefit him and the others, "But that doesn't mean we can't use this class for other purposes."

"Such as?" Ron asked, crossing his arms with a brow quirked.

"Figuring out what our next move will be." Harry said, "Such as in the event this planet is _the_ Planet."

"Then we'd have to find documents on what happened to mako energy or at the least Shin-Ra." Ron responded as Harry nodded.

"But you know the way the Lifestream works," Harry said as they both looked amused, "We could be so far into the future that those sort of things are mere myths for those that truly appreciate history."

"Noted." Ron said as he leaned forward, "But until we can gleam some information on the three basic questions: where, when, and why, we wouldn't have a starting point for anything."

"Which is what I've been trying to tell you and Draco." Harry said, looking annoyed.

"We know," Ron said dismissively as they both knew the two did, in fact, know that, "but we've just been trying to be sure you'll be on board for the training. We need our leading Commander, Sephiroth… We need our _General_…"

"As I've told Draco before; I'll think about it." Harry said, and that was the end of the discussion as Ron sighed and leaned back in his chair. The two quickly came up with some fake dreams and Trelawney bought the interpreting of them, allowing the two to receive full marks for the day.

* * *

When the bell rang, Harry, Ron, and Neville met up with Hermione on the way to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

"You know Umbridge will try something against you, Harry." Hermione said.

"Oh, I'm counting on it." Harry said, and the grin he gave only served to make shivers go up their spines as they now feared for Umbridge.

The first thing that the four noticed when they walked into the classroom was the sight of Umbridge, who Harry refused to call a Professor simply because she was a horrid woman and a spy sent by the government no less, sitting there in front the classroom looking like some squashed plump toad in pink.

Pink, dammit! Of all the colors, that one pissed Harry off the most for some reason when he saw the woman wearing it. Even the black velvet bow that that sat atop her head seemed to irritate him as Ron and Hermione flanked him to their seats in the back of the class. Draco came waltzing in as though he owned the place, but quickly took the seat in front of them before flashing them (what Harry figured was suppose to have been) a brilliant smile with Blaise at his side. Neville grabbed the seat parallel to theirs as he waved from next to Seamus and Dean.

"Well, good afternoon!" Umbridge said, when finally the whole class had sat down. Harry made a face when he was forced to hear the woman's sickly sweet tone of voice, but unlike him; most couldn't hide the grimace as a few of them mumbled a greeting in reply.

"Tut, tut." Umbridge said, clearly unimpressed with them, "_That_ simply will never do. Now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge" when we begin our classes. Once more, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her, but Harry pressed his mouth into a thin line as he refused to give into the woman.

Glancing over his friends, he could see they were in full agreement. Hermione was staring at the toad-faced woman with hidden distaste. Ron and Neville were outright frowning at her. And though Draco's back was to him, Harry could practically see the blond bristling with anger at being commanded by what would have been labeled an inferior being back when they were a part of SOLDIER.

Harry, himself, detested people like Umbridge. Those that put such an emphasis on manners only because they lacked the favorability to get such respect like Angeal had back in SOLDIER.

"Good. Now then, please, let us all put away those wands." Umbridge said, still using that fakely sweet tone, "You won't be needing them. Please, instead, take your quills and parchment."

As they reluctantly did so, Umbridge took out her own unusually short wand and tapped it against the blackboard sharply, making chalked words appear before she moved down the aisles of the classroom.

_Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_A Return to Basic Principles_

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Umbridge said more than asked as she made her way back up to the front of the class. She turned to face them with her hands clasped neatly in front of her, "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any of the Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see it your OWL year."

The class said nothing, but if the looks on Seamus and Dean's faces were any indication of the entire class' attitude toward the woman, then Umbridge would be meeting the same fate as the teachers before her.

Except this time by the hands of the students.

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified." Umbridge went on, oblivious to the mood, "We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard with her wand once again; the first message vanished, being replaced by the "Course Aims":

_1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

Harry's neutral expression steadily became darker and fouler as the lesson went on. Just from having glanced over the course aims, Harry could tell that not one spell would pass their lips within the woman's classroom. While what was written sounded okay in theory; that was just it. The entire class would be based and taught about only theory! That might have been fine for First Years, but they as Fifth Years needed practical instruction. And while they had figured out the class might have been like this over the summer, it was still very upsetting to see that they were right.

Especially with Voldemort somewhere out on the loose and the Ministry being tight-lipped about the madman. Now they had a blatant Ministry spy in their midst, and no matter what they did, they would be bombarded with trouble from either side.

While the others were writing, Harry was only making vague notes as he continued to glance around and observe the class. Draco seemed to be muttering curses under his breath while Ron was taking everything in stride, though even he was frowning severely while Neville was following Draco's example of muttered foul language. Hermione was writing feverishly like before, as though she was both used to writing long detailed reports and paying attention to something else all at once.

But then suddenly, Hermione stopped in her writing and took a deep breath. Harry leaned over to her, and saw that she was finished with the writing they had been assigned. Hermione then had a conflicted look, but it faded as she drew up a deep breath and raised her hand in the air. While Harry found this behavior unusual, even in Hermione, he was not all too surprised.

Could Hermione have been a researcher before reincarnation? And if so; then which one?

Umbridge, however, was not paying Hermione any mind as she sat down behind her desk and began shuffling through some papers.

As it wore on, more and more of the class started to choose to watch Hermione trying to catch Umbridge's attention instead of reading through their books. Umbridge's face turned a slight puce color as she figured that she could no longer ignore Hermione, and finally turned toward the girl, her lips curving up into a falsely sweet smile.

"Did you have a question about the chapter, dear?" Umbridge asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no." Hermione said calmly, as though waiting to be acknowledged was a rather common occurrence.

Harry, however, knew it was not.

"Well, we're only reading just now." Umbridge said, showing her small, slightly pointed, teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims, ma'am." Hermione said, her voice not wavering in it's unusually calm state. Umbridge raised her eyebrows while Harry quirked a brow of his own. Draco had turned around in his seat and even Ron looked up from his note-taking when he heard Hermione speak.

"And your name is?" Umbridge asked, still wearing her smile like a bad habit.

"Hermione Granger, ma'am." Hermione said clear as Umbridge nodded, moving from behind her desk toward them.

"Well, Miss Granger," Umbridge said, stopping halfway through the aisle, "I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully."

"Well, with all due respect, ma'am; I don't." Hermione said bluntly, calmly, "There's nothing written up there about our actually _using_ defensive spells."

"_Using_ defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated with a little disgusting laugh as though Hermione was an ignorant child, "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use any defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"So what you're implying is… that we're _not_ going to be using magic in here _at all_?" Ron asked pointedly, crossing his arms causally over his chest and leaning back. Though that had been obvious to Harry, the surprised and annoyed looks that suddenly crossed over the faces of other students meant that Ron was trying to make the murky messages clear for all to see. Umbridge's smile twitched on her face before coming back full force.

"Students will raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr –?"

"Weasley, Ronald Weasley, ma'am." Ron said, thrusting his hand into the air.

Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on the seated trio. Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too as Umbridge's squat eyes lingered on Harry for a moment, before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?" Umbridge said, though her sweet tone made it clear that she didn't want anymore questions.

"Yes, ma'am." Hermione said, further insulting and demeaning Umbridge with her politeness as Harry knew he wouldn't care to be so polite himself like Ron or Hermione were being, "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells? Am I correct, ma'am?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, ma'am, but –" yet Hermione was interrupted by the toad of a woman.

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the "whole point" of any class is. Now are you?" Umbridge said quickly, her sweet tone laced with satisfaction, "Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."

"I'm sure you're correct, Umbridge." Harry said suddenly, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk as he fixed the woman with a predatory look, "However, it is my belief that these same wizards are also dullards such as yourself, because I don't believe any situation outside this classroom will be secure nor risk-free in any way."

"As I said before, Mr. Potter, students shall raise their hand in my classroom and wait to be addressed." Umbridge said, her smile strained as was her sugary tone. Harry casually lifted his hand and his brow, but again, Umbridge promptly turned away from him.

However this time; several people had their hands up, too, though Draco seemed content on watching in smug silence than actually showing an allegiance to them or to defy Umbridge.

Then again, both Draco and Genesis were (or would have been) Slytherins after all…

"And your name is?" Umbridge said to Dean, who gave her a look as though to convey that he wasn't a five year-old and didn't need her in his face.

"Dean Thomas… ma'am." Dean said, sharing mirthful looks with Seamus and Neville as Umbridge's mouth twitched.

"Well, Mr. Thomas, what is your question?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" Dean said, gesturing over to Harry, "If we _are_ going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

"I repeat, Mr. Thomas," Umbridge said, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"Well, no, but still –"

"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school, but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class. Very irresponsible indeed… not to mention extremely dangerous half-breeds."

Harry felt himself being restrained to his seat by the slightly stronger Ron and Hermione's own efforts while Draco glanced back at them with the rest of the Slytherins. The entire class had glanced back at him, all of them knowing Harry's opinion on his half-bred teachers; Hagrid and Lupin.

"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean piped up angrily, "Then I'll have you know that he was the best we ever –"

"_Hand_, Mr. Thomas!" Umbridge exclaimed, turning from him, before addressing the entire class, "As I was saying; you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day –"

"No we haven't, ma'am." Hermione began diplomatically, "We're simply concerned that–"

"Your hand is _not_ up, Miss Granger!" Umbridge screeched shrilly, making Harry, Ron, Neville, and Draco cover their superior ears.

Hermione, however when Harry glanced over at her, was rubbing her temples and frowning as though she had come to a block in her research. The situation truly must have been degrading worse than any of them had expected for the first day.

It was just getting more unbearable by the minute.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, but that he actually performed them on you as well."

"Well, he turned out to be a fake and a maniac, didn't he?" Dean shot back hotly, "Mind you, we still learned loads under that maniac."

"Your hand is not up _either_, Mr. Thomas!" Umbridge trilled, "Now then. It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which is, after all, what school is all about. Oh… and your name is, my dear?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

"Parvati Patil, ma'am, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and such?"

Now every eye turned to Umbridge, waiting to see how the squat woman would counter such an argument.

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," Umbridge said dismissively as Draco and Ron nearly fell out of their chairs due to sheer disbelief.

"I can't believe someone could be so… so…" Ron seemed at a lost for words while he tried not to outright insult his teacher's intelligence.

"Stupid?" Draco supplied as Harry nodded in agreement.

"Obliviously the Ministry is lacking in intellect altogether if they've sent this dullard of a woman to keep us in line." Harry said causally, not caring to keep his tone down like his friends, "Because if this was the best they could do, I feel something akin to pity for all those that are still at Ministry Headquarters.

"Ma'am, are you suggesting that we'll be ready for our practical exams… _without_ _ever_ _practicing_ _beforehand_?" even though her tone was polite, no one could deny hearing the incredulity in Parvati's tone, "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells… will be during our actual exam?"

"I repeat, Miss Patil, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough –"

"And what good is theory going to be in the real world?" Harry asked loudly, his hand lifted casually in the air.

"This is school, Mr. Potter, _not_ the real world." Umbridge said softly, as though she were tire of dealing with him already.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for the dangers waiting for us outside these castle walls?" Harry asked, sitting up straight.

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter. Who do you imagine wants to attack children suck as yourselves?" Umbridge enquired Umbridge in a horribly honeyed tone of voice.

Harry nearly fell from his own seat, as did Ron, Neville, Draco, and Hermione. All of the class became silent as they each gave Umbridge their own looks of incredulity.

"I did not want to believe your stupidity could sink to even deeper depths, but it seems you've proved my faith wrong, Umbridge." Harry said, shaking his head lightly, "No. I will not even dignify that extreme example of mental malfunction and the horrors of inbreeding with a response as one so intelligently superior as myself could devise. No, I will not. It seems that in this battle of wits, you have come not only unarmed, Umbridge, but also completely in the nude."

"That's some horrible imagery right there, mate." Neville said, faking gagging noises.

"However," Harry went on as though Neville never spoke, leaning forward with his hands steeped in front of him, "Perhaps at least one example is needed to show you just how extreme this entire debacle is."

"And that would be?" Umbridge replied, her smile so strained that her eye was twitching and her face was flushed.

"Hmm, let me think…" Harry said as a mockingly thoughtful look crossed his face, "How about… maybe… Voldemort?"

Hermione sighed; Ron shrugged; Draco grinned; Neville faked a dead-faint; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream. Umbridge, however, did not flinch, though Harry suspected that she wouldn't. It was here, with her next move, that would prove if the Ministry would truly go to any lengths to silence him or Dumbledore about Voldemort's return. It was here that Umbridge would prove if she was truly a spy for the Ministry, or just some piss-poor attempt to startle them into hasty actions and ill-thought out decisions.

Umbridge was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face, and he stared right back at her.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

The classroom was still and silent as Ron, Harry, and Draco exchanged looks with either Hermione or Neville.

That had been… unexpected and _severly_ anticlimatic…

Everyone else was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

"Now then, let me make a few things quite plain." Umbridge stood up from where she had been sitting behind her desk. She then leaned towards them, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk.

"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead –"

"Because he has… sort of." Harry said, then quirked a brow, "It's difficult to explain, mostly because he wasn't very dead to begin with, but yeah, he's returned."

"Mr. Potter, you have already lost your house ten points, do not make matters worse for yourself," Umbridge said in one breath without looking at him, "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a _lie_."

"It is not a lie, you useless dullard." Harry said, "I, for one, can attest to that. I saw him and fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge cried triumphantly, "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office."

"Fine." Harry said, inwardly annoyed yet pleased that his assumptions were being proven right.

He just needed to push a little further until she snapped.

"I repeat; _this is a lie_. The Ministry of Magic _guarantees_ that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside of class hours. If someone is alarming you with _fibs_ about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend." Umbridge said as she smiled with sickening sweetness to the skeptical faces of her class, "And now please, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, "_Basics for Beginners_" … please."

Umbridge sat down behind her desk.

"She seems pretty intent on keeping you quiet." Ron observed as Harry nodded.

"Yes, but let's see if we can't break her calm." Harry suggested, "If we can, then perhaps she'll slip up and reveal something we can use against her and the Ministry at large."

"Harry, don't." Hermione whispered sternly, "If you push her too hard, she could make your schooling here perfectly unbearable."

"Noted." Harry said, "But I didn't expect this year to be much of an improvement from any other." and with that, Harry stood up.

Harry made his way up the middle aisle of desks, marching up to Umbridge's desk, but stopping halfway so that he was standing in full-view of everyone with an air of calm indifference, as though he had done this a hundred times already. Everyone was staring at him; some looked half-scared, some half-fascinated, all interested in whatever Harry was about to do.

"So, Umbridge," Harry began, lifting a brow as Umbridge too stood up, "According to you, Cedric Diggory must dropped dead of his own accord, right?"

"Harry." Parvati whispered, tucking at Harry's robes as he stood next to her desk, "You should sit down. You already have detention."

"You should listen to her, Mr. Potter." Umbridge said, standing a few desks before him, "If you seat yourself now, I'll overlook this little teenage defiance."

"While my housemate's concern for my well-being is touching, I think I'll stand my ground." Harry drawled, giving Parvati a quirk of his lips, which she took as a smile, "Now please, answer my question, woman."

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge said coldly, her eyes filled with fury.

"That was the wrong answer." Harry snapped back, his voice far more cold and furious than Umbridge as the woman took an unconscious step back, "You will not besmirch Cedric's memory with such pitiful lies as says that his death was an accident. He was murdered." and while Harry didn't feel anything for Cedric's death, he wasn't going to let this dullard of a woman disgrace the boy's death by saying what the Ministry wanted people to here, "He may not have been killed directly by Voldemort himself, but he might as well have been when Voldemort's henchmen did the deed without a second thought. Voldemort's will killed Cedric and you know it!"

"Come here, Mr. Potter," a sudden, girlish voice said as Harry quirked a brow at Umbridge, who was beckoning to him to come over to her. Harry marched up to her, nearly two complete heads taller than her as he gazed down his nose at her. He could feel the rest of the class holding its breath. He felt rage bubbling within him after his little speech. He would not have Cedric, who had been a fair and good person, be swept under the rug just because the Ministry refused to see the truth.

Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink and started scribbling, hunched over so that Harry or Dove could see what she was writing. Nobody spoke. After a minute or so she rolled up the parchment and tapped it with her wand; it sealed itself seamlessly so that no one could tear it open.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, my dear." Umbridge said sweetly, holding out the note to Harry, who took it from her without saying a word, turned on his heel and sweeping from the classroom with the grace of a dancer. He gave a glance to the others, who nodded when they saw the look on his face.

* * *

When he arrived at McGonagall's office, Harry rapped sharply on the door. It flew open to reveal the Transfiguration teacher, looking grim and harassed.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, "Why aren't you in class?"

"I've been sent out to see you." Harry said casually with a small smile.

"Sent? What do you mean _sent_?" McGonagall asked as Harry held out the note from Professor Umbridge. Professor McGonagall took it from him with a frown before slitting it open with a tap of her wand. She stretched it out and began to read, her eyes zoomed from side to side behind their square spectacles as she read what Umbridge had written, and with each line her eyes became narrower.

"Come in here, Mr. Potter." Harry followed her inside her study, the door closing automatically behind them.

"Well," Professor McGonagall asked, "Is this true?"

"Is what true, Professor?" Harry asked politely, showing McGonagall respect very few others could say they garnered from him.

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Not exactly, only one sentence from my mouth was raised above normal speaking levels." Harry answered.

"And that you called her a liar?" McGonagall went on as though he said nothing.

"Yes."

And that you told her that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back?"

"No. I told her that Voldemort had returned, but yes." Harry answered as Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, watching him closely.

"Have a biscuit, Mr. Potter." she said, indicating the small tartan tin lying on top of one of the piles of papers on her desk.

"Thank you, Professor." Harry said as he took one and sat down in front of McGonagall's desk. Professor McGonagall set down Umbridge's note and looked very seriously at Harry, who looked just as so.

"Mr. Potter, you must be careful." McGonagall said as she watched Harry swallow his mouthful of Ginger Newt and stare back at her. Her tone of voice was not at all what he was used to; it was not brisk, crisp and stern; it was low and anxious and somehow much more human than usual.

"I understand." Harry said, "My actions were merely to confirm a suspicion that I had."

"And that was?"

"That she was a spy for the Ministry and that she would go to any lengths to keep me and Professor Dumbledore quiet about Voldemort's return." Harry said, leaning forward as he crossed his legs at the knee, "However, she kept her calm more so than I thought someone of her disposition would. I've also gathered that she has a dislike for half-breeds, and is bent on turning at least her own class into a primary school for manners. She also seems pressed to deny and denounce again she and the Ministry doesn't agree with."

"I see…" Professor McGonagall said, blinking owlishly for a moment before she regained her composure. It seemed that Harry had stunned her for a moment with not only intellect, but also with the information he had gathered. She gave him a piercing look before she settled back into her chair, giving him a look that he had only seen her give to another adult or one of her colleagues, "While all of that is impressive, and I will be giving that information to Professor Dumbledore, I still must warn you against taking these extreme actions, Mr. Potter… Harry."

"Noted."

"Yes, please do note it." Professor McGonagall went on, "Because I can assure you that you are right on every point. And that also, misbehavior in Dolores Jane Umbridge's class could, and most likely _will_, cost you much more than a few house points and some petty detentions."

"I understand." Harry said, "But I don't care much about her political views toward the murder of one of our best students."

"Yes, that is rather upsetting, but you must keep yourself in check, even when trying to gather such crucial information." McGonagall said, glancing over a paper before placing it in one of the stacks on her desk, "You know where she comes from, you to whom she is reporting. Politics can be rather useful if played right, but damning if they're used against you. Next time, Harry, please try to be more surreptitious when confront with these types of situations; especially around… that woman." McGonagall said, her lips thinned as she stopped herself from insulting Umbridge aloud.

The bell rang for the end of the lesson. Overhead and all around came the elephantine sounds of hundreds of students on the move.

"Now then, it says here she's given you detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow." Professor McGonagall said, looking down at Umbridge's note again.

"Couldn't you…?" Harry left the question hanging as McGonagall sighed and shook her head, leveling him with a deadpan look.

"No, I couldn't." Professor McGonagall said flatly, "As much as I would like to, she is a teacher here and unfortunately has the right to give you detention, especially with your actions in her class."

"I guess it can't be helped then." Harry said, shrugging.

"No, it can't. Now, you will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember; tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge."

"Noted." Harry nodded.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "You told the truth, we both know that."

"I wasn't arguing that point." Harry said as McGonagall nodded.

"Yes, and I thing this little chat has reminded of how much you've been forced to grow up over these last few years." McGonagall said softly, "The point is, you're not a child anymore. Not an adult either, but with the way you're handling things, you might be more mature than most of the adults in the wizarding world, _especially_ those that are simply following whatever the Ministry tells them."

"Okay…" Harry said, not seeing where exactly this was going.

"However," McGonagall said, holding up a hand, "You must keep your head down, aware of your actions, and your temper in check."

"Alright then." Harry said, rising from his seat as he sensed the end of their conversation.

"I want you to go up to Professor Dumbledore's office, Mr. Potter." McGonagall said, "He wants to have a few words with you about your trial from over the summer."

"I'll go there at once." Harry assured as Professor McGonagall nodded.

"Have a good day, Mr. Potter." she said as Harry nodded back.

"And you as well, Professor." Harry replied before sweeping from her office and heading for the Headmaster's.

* * *

Seeing the gargoyle come into sight, Harry was annoyed as he didn't know the password and would have to turn back. However, the gargoyle leapt back to reveal the spiral staircase upon seeing him coming. Though it was strange, he did recall that Dumbledore wanted to speak with him about the hearing, and so it must have been urgent if he didn't need a password for entrance.

Making his way up the spiral staircase, Harry could only imagine what it was the professor wanted to talk about from the hearing. Was it his speaking out? His palpable anger? His sharp tongue, or maybe his newly shown wit?

"Harry, come in." Dumbledore's voice said as Harry just reached the top of the staircase, and was about to knock at the Headmaster's office door, when the door swung openly slowly of it's own accord.

"You wished to see me, Professor?" Harry asked as he stepped swiftly inside the office, which door shut closed behind him. Dumbledore looked up from Fawkes the Phoenix to Harry, studying him from behind those half-mooned spectacles before moving to greet him. Though Harry did note how Dumbledore was gazing at his shoulder instead of into his eyes.

"Yes, Harry. I'm sorry to take you away from your evening, but I felt that the sooner we dealt with this, the better." Dumbledore said as he moved behind his desk and gestured for Harry to take a seat in the chair in front of the large oak wood desk.

"Is there a problem?" Harry asked with a raised brow.

"Honestly? Yes," Dumbledore confessed, "You must have noticed how I was not looking you in the eye just then."

"Yes, I did." Harry answered as he smoothly took a seat in front the wizened wizard, "And now I find myself wondering why."

Dumbledore sighed, looking conflicted as to if he should say something or not.

"You see, Harry…" Dumbledore began, but paused with another look, "It… It is because of Voldemort."

"Okay." Harry said, "I might have figured that out."

"The others have told me about your situation. About your visions earlier this summer, in addition to your scar's reactions to Voldemort's presence and state of mind."

"And?" Harry asked impatiently.

"They indicate that you and Voldemort share a… special connection between the two of you."

Harry leveled the elderly man with a flat look, "I figured as much. That is, unless I've suddenly developed an extraordinary talent for Divination."

"What I was, and am, concerned about is this unnatural connection and how it was formed." Dumbledore said as though Harry had not spoken.

"Well, unless my scar has suddenly developed psychic powers, then I would think it formed after Voldemort's revival to flesh and bone." Harry quipped dryly.

"Harry, what I'm trying to say cannot simply be laid to bare so… openly. This connection between you and Lord Voldemort deals with the mind. I believe you are familiar with some mind magic, thanks to a certain former professor who made his living from it before it did him in."

"Yes, I remember." Harry shot back, growing annoyed with Dumbledore's skirting around the situation. If he had something of importance to say, then he should just say it! "Are you attempting to imply that Voldemort could, at some point, try to erase my own memory?"

Dumbledore looked a little taken back by the idea, "No, Harry, though that maybe not be to far from what I'm trying to convey."

"Then what are you trying to convey, _sir_?" Harry asked sharply, folding his arms as he leaned forward in his chair. This whole little meeting was becoming tedious…

"I'm saying that Lord Voldemort may or may not become aware of this connection in the future, and from then only bad things may become of it." Dumbledore said, "He has powers. Powers which would allow him to enter another's mind and view memories and occasionally thoughts."

"Alright, so what?" Harry asked calmly, though his annoyance was growing as Dumbledore continued to skirt around the subject.

"Harry, you are not an angry person." Dumbledore said as though that explained everything, "You have been, at times, frustrated and occasional irritated, but before has it been a predominant emotion within you. But now… now you have changed. Your anger is not what it once was. Now it is sharp and channeled like a fine wire ready to snap at however dares trip over it and release the blade which is that trap. I, myself, have seen it first-hand in your earlier dealings with the Ministry during your hearing."

"And?"

"And it is something I daresay I would not like to be on the receiving end of." Dumbledore chuckled, but Harry found nothing amusing if they were to be talking about his connection with Voldemort.

"Speaking of my hearing," Harry brokered to get at least something out of this little chat, "What was that thing about the Ministry supposedly having to send someone to the sight of a Patronus casting?"

"I'm glad you asked, Harry." Dumbledore said, leaning forward, "You see, back in the first fight against Voldemort, he had gained the allegiance of all manner of dark creatures; including the Dementors. It was decreed that, because of Dementor attacks on all people; magical and muggle, whenever the Patronus charm was used, at least one Auror or Ministry official would go immediately to the scene of the casting and transport the effected to St. Mungo's hospital for treatment. The dementors were Voldemort's favorite dark creatures because they caused so much pains without a single physical scar. It gave him great joy to watch the suffering of those under the Dementors wraith, and even greater elation when they administered the Kiss."

"Voldemort truly is a sick and twisted individual, isn't he?" Harry said, more than asked, as Dumbledore nodded his head sadly.

"Indeed…"

"Well then, I'll be going." Harry said as he rose from his seat.

"Oh? Why so, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his speech and tone strange; even for him.

"I can clearly see that you won't be sharing any crucial information with me. At least nothing I don't already know." Harry said, turning his back to the Headmaster as he began to make his way to the door.

"Harry, I must implore that you sit back down." Dumbledore said gently, "These things must be discussed. Surely you can see just how many ways your focused tantrum at the Ministry could have gone against you? It was only due to the troubling accusations you presented, and past history between Fudge and the Wizengamot, that you were allowed to continue speaking out against them instead of being fined for contempt, at extreme worse; placed in Azkaban."

"And that is noted." Harry said, turning back around to stare his headmaster down, "However, my anger had nothing to do with my words at large. I most likely would have still said what I did against that panel of useless dullards and that concoction of bumbling idiocy I am sometimes forced to address as the entitled Minister of Magic."

"Harry, it is my fear that this connection with Voldemort is influencing you more so than you believe." Dumbledore said, "Never before this year have you ever shown such a cold indifference or a sharp tongue. And your comment about allowing the world to fall to Voldemort until you are personally challenged by him troubles me greatly."

"And why should it?" Harry asked as Dumbledore seemed to close himself off. Harry scoffed, "If you are not going to answer such questions, and leave me with more so than answers, then you should not have called me up here, Headmaster."

"Harry, please-"

"No, I think you've made things murky enough with your indecision." Harry said, cutting Dumbledore off with raised hand, "After all the ways that our magical government has done me wrong, I would think that anyone would find themselves greatly frustrated, but I digress. I will not stand here and be fed scraps of information until you see fit to tell me the whole of the situation. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have a fine dinner to eat, other things to take care of, and you, sir, are wasting my time.

"Harry, you must understand, I…" but Dumbledore fell silent as his gaze met Harry's hardened one. He sighed, waving a hand to the door as it opened, "Perhaps we shall try to speak again another day, Harry."

"Perhaps." was all Harry said as he turned on heel and swept from the office as Dumbledore sighed at his retreating form, Fawkes trilling in the corner.

* * *

Dinner in the Great Hall that night was not a particularly pleasant experience for Harry, or for his friends. The news about his and the others disapproval of Umbridge had traveled exceptionally fast; even by Hogwarts' standards. He heard whispers all around him as he sat eating between Ginny and Hermione with Ron and Neville sat across from them with Fred and George. The funny thing was that none of the whisperers seemed to mind him overhearing what they were saying about him.

On the contrary, it was as though they were hoping he would get angry and start shouting again, so that they could hear his story first-hand.

"He says he saw Cedric Diggory murdered…"

"He reckons he dueled with You-Know-Who…"

"Come off it…"

"Who does he think he's kidding?"

"Pur-Lease…"

"What I don't seem to understand," Harry said as he laid down his knife and fork, "Is why they all believed the story two months ago when Dumbledore told them."

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did." Hermione said grimly, "Oh, let's just get out of here!" she slammed down her own knife and fork.

"No, we stay." Harry said firmly, "I will not allow these dullards to run us out with some simple-minded attempts to make me put on a show and dance for their feeble-minded entertainment. If they want entertainment, I suggest they buy a television set."

"Ha! Only you, dude!" Neville laughed as Ginny grinned while Ron shook with silent laughter.

"Now then, Hermione, what did you mean when you said you weren't sure they believed Dumbledore?" Harry asked as Hermione sighed, picking up her utensils as she continued forcefully through the meal.

"Its just that I don't think they had time to really believe the story before we had to return home; where they were told that Dumbledore and you were spouting off a bunch of lies." Hermione said as Harry sighed, "Look, you don't understand what it was like after it happened…" Hermione said quietly, "You just popped up, clutching Cedric's dead body… None of us saw what happened in the maze… we just had Dumbledore's word for it; that Vol-Voldemort had come back and killed Cedric… and that he fought you."

"Which is the truth." Harry pointed out calmly, "I don't see why people would believe I would make something like that up. I could understand something like fighting a troll or even a creature like Fluffy, or hell, even a Chocobo, but why would I fabricate the thought of fighting a thought-to-be long deceased evil Dark Lord?"

"You forgot that they think you're bat-shit crazy, yo." Fred piped up as Harry fixed him with a humorless look.

"Thank you for reminding me." Harry said dryly.

"But it's true!" Ginny said, giving Harry a look of her own, "They all really do think you're a nutcase and that Dumbledore has gone senile. They've been building the story for the better part of two months now."

"I see…" Harry said darkly, steeping his fingers as he gazed down at his meal.

It was only half-eaten, and he didn't feel like eating anymore now that Ginny and Hermione's words were sinking in.

They needed a plan.

* * *

Rain pounded on the windowpanes as Neville, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all strode along the empty corridors back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry felt as though his first day had lasted a week, but he still had a much homework to do before he would be able to get to bed. A dull pounding pain was developing over his right eye, but he ignored it as he glanced out of a rain-washed window at the dark grounds while their little group turned into the Fat Lady's corridor. There was still no light in Hagrid's cabin.

"A moment, Sephiroth." a voice said behind them as Harry stopped dead while the others turned around.

"I'd like it if you got accustomed to addressing me as Harry, Draco. Those are our names, after all." Harry quipped dryly as Draco smirked.

"But those are so plain, so boring… well, at least your new name is. Mine are always so divine." Draco said, walking up to them as Harry finally turned around, "It must be because the Goddess loves me so."

"Ge-Genesis!" Neville said, pointing a finger at him.

"Yes, young Zackary, it is I; the Chosen One." Draco said, striking a glorious pose.

"Are you Anakin Skywalker now? Because that's the only Chosen One I've ever known." Harry quipped as Draco scowled lightly.

"Funny, I actually know that mundane tale of heroics from some of the muggle-born Slytherins." Draco said, "But enough about that, and more about what happened in Umbridge's class today."

"Why? I thought it was all very clear." Harry said, folding his arms, "We annoyed her to see the extent to which she would go. Perfectly cut and dry, to me."

"That's because you like cut and dry." Ron jabbed as Harry glanced at him, "What Genesis means is what happened afterward."

"McGonagall warned me about antagonizing Umbridge." Harry said, refusing to tell them about his conversation with Dumbledore. It annoyed him that the old man didn't trust him with information pertaining to the very situations he was going through, and he didn't need the others worrying over it like they did everything less.

"Nothing else?" Draco asked, raising a brow as Harry quirked one in challenge.

"She gave me a biscuit." Harry added as Neville groaned.

"Aww, lucky!" Neville pouted as Ron chuckled, ruffling the younger boy's hair.

"Fine then." Draco said, shrugging his shoulders, "So what are we going to do about our abilities. Obviously we're still able to use the same magics we did before."

"As I've said before; we are doing nothing." Harry said, turning on heel, "If they are useful to you, then use them, but until we have more information about our situation, you will stand down and standby."

"By your leave, General." Draco chirped smugly as Harry threw an annoyed glare over his shoulder at the blonde's now retreating form.

"He does that just to annoy me." Harry said with a sigh, "The sad part is; it works every single time…"

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia," Hermione said, before the Fat Lady could ask. The portrait swung open to reveal the hole behind it and the four of them entered through it.

The common room was almost empty; nearly everyone was still down at dinner. Crookshanks uncoiled himself from an armchair and trotted to meet them, purring loudly, and when Harry, Ron and Hermione took their three favorite chairs at the fireside he leapt lightly onto Hermione's lap and curled up there like a furry ginger cushion. Harry gazed into the flames, feeling agitation and weariness.

"I just don't understand it. How could Dumbledore have allowed that terrible woman to teach us? And in our OWL year, no less." Hermione cried in a calm tone all of a sudden, making Harry and Ron glance back at her; Crookshanks leapt off her, looking affronted.

Harry recognized that the normal Hermione would have been far more furious about the affront to her magical education, but this new Hermione was taking things in much better stride and with far greater maturity. It was almost like she was used to set-backs and failures which as the normal Hermione was not. The only thing that stopped Harry from asking her who she was, was the fact that if Hermione truly knew who she was, she would have told them.

And also the fact that trying to figure out who the others were kept his mind off of his annoyances…

"I'm guessing that, like we said before school; the Ministry has somehow forced her into the school." Ron replied with a shrug as Harry scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

"Though, we've never quite had great Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, have we? The werewolf and the maniac who was plotting to kill me were the highlights compared to the other three; Umbridge included." Harry said as Ron chuckled.

"You know what it's like what Hagrid told us; nobody wants the job because they say it's jinxed." Ron said as Hermione sighed, leaning back in her own chair.

"Yes, but to employ someone who's actually refusing to let us do magic… What's Dumbledore playing at simply allowing it to happen?" Hermione said, more to herself than them.

"And she's trying to get people to spy for her, don't forget that." Ron said darkly, "Remember how she said that she wanted us to come and tell her if we hear anyone saying that Voldemort was back?"

"Well, of course she's recruiting spies. That much was obvious from the start. Why else would Fudge have wanted her to come?" Hermione snapped, though Harry wasn't quite sure if that was the right word because of just how gently and calmly Hermione had uttered the others.

"No, you're right." Ron said, placing his elbows to his knees as he leaned forward and steeped his hands, "I just didn't think she would play at it so soon, but I guess we gave her the perfect setup."

"Perhaps she's not as much a dullard as I would have thought." Harry mused, his own flame illuminated by the flames from the fireplace, "I blame my bias disposition against her. I've allowed it to give her this very slight upper hand. Well, no more. She's a cunning one, I'll give her that, but she obviously is oblivious to just who exactly she has been pitted against."

"Lets just do our homework for now," Hermione suggested, "If only to clear our heads and get it out of the way."

"Yes, that would be best." Ron agreed as Harry nodded his own agreement.

They collected their schoolbags from a corner and returned to the chairs by the fire. People were coming back from dinner now. Harry kept his face averted from the portrait hole, but could still sense the stares he was attracting.

"Shall we do Snape's stuff first?" said Ron, dipping his quill into his ink, "The properties of moonstone, and its uses in potion-making…" Ron muttered, writing the words across the top of his parchment as he spoke them. "There." He underlined the title, then looked up expectantly at Hermione.

"So, what are the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making?" Ron asked, a smirk on his face as Hermione and Harry laughed with him, but then something caught Hermione's eye and she stopped laughing rather abruptly.

Looking up, Harry saw that Hermione was squinting over into the far corner of the room, where Fred, George and Lee Jordan were now sitting at the center of a knot of innocent-looking first years, all of whom were chewing something that seemed to have come out of a large paper bag that Fred was holding with a rather large grin on his face.

"No, I'm sorry, they've gone too far." Hermione said tranquilly, standing up and looking the part of positively furious, "Come on, Ron."

"I - what?" Ron asked, looking up to where his twin brothers were, "I don't think we can tell them off for handing out sweets."

"It's Fred and George giving the sweets out." Harry said with a raised brow as Ron seemed to understand as he hopped to his feet.

"Point taken." Ron said as he looked worried for the first-years, "Who knows what they're giving those kids."

"Exactly." Hermione said with a sharp nod, "They could be bits of Nosebleed Nougat or - or Puking Pastilles or -"

"Fainting Fancies?" Harry suggested quietly as he too smoothly clamored to his feet.

One by one, as though hit over the head with an invisible mallet, the first-years were slumping unconscious in their seats; some slid right on to the floor, others merely hung over the arms of their chairs, their tongues lolling out. Most of the people watching were laughing.

Hermione and Ron, however, were not. Hermione squared her shoulders and marched directly over to where Fred and George now stood with clipboards, closely observing the unconscious first-years. Ron frowned as he too marched over, though he merely looked disapproving of their methods. Harry shrugged as he decided to join them as he waltzed over and got a front row seat for the show.

"That is enough!" Hermione said forcefully to Fred and George, both of whom looked up in mild surprise.

"You're right," George said quietly as he nod, jotting down some notes, "this dosage was too strong."

"Yeah, knocked the little brats right on their tailbones, yo." Fred said, cackling as he grinned at Hermione, who placed her hands on her hips.

"I told you this morning that you weren't allowed to use the younger students as test subjects." Hermione said as Fred scoffed at her.

"Come on, woman! We're even paying the little fucks!" Fred said indignantly.

"I don't care, it could be dangerous! I said, quite clearly this morning, that you were only allowed to use Fourth Year or higher!"

"Rubbish!" Fred shot back, "All those and up wouldn't dare take so much as a crumble from us! We need fresh guinea pigs!"

"Calm down, Hermione, they're fine!" Lee said reassuringly as he walked from first-year to first year, inserting purple sweets into their open mouths.

"Yes. They're coming round now." George said as a few of the first-years were indeed stirring.

Several looked so shocked to find themselves lying on the floor, or dangling off their chairs, that Harry was sure Fred and George had not warned them what the sweets were going to do.

"We were even gracious enough to give them the antidote." Fred said, "See? All's good in this neighborhood."

"Oh really?" Hermione said, "Because I think the fact that they need an antidote to re-awaken only makes it worse."

"Are you feeling alright?" George kindly asked a small dark-haired girl lying at his feet.

"I - I think so," she said shakily.

"Excellent!" Fred said happily, but the next second Hermione had tried to snatch both his clipboard and the paper bag of Fainting Fancies from his hands. His eyes sharpened in that second, moving both items from her path, but was outmatched by Ron, who swiped them instead, much to the surprise of all.

"No, this is _not_ excellent! Knock it off!" Ron reprimanded.

"Of course it is, yo! They're alive, ain't they?" Fred said angrily.

"You can't do this, what if you made one of them really ill?" Ron asked as Fred scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.

"We're not going to make them ill, we've already tested them all on ourselves, this is just to see if everyone reacts the same -"

"If you don't stop doing it, I'm going to -"

"Put us in detention?" George asked in an I'd-like-to-see-you-try-it voice to Hermione.

"Make us write lines, aye Ronniekins?" Fred asked mockingly to Ron while smirking before throwing his head back with laughter.

Onlookers all over the room were laughing. Hermione drew herself up to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her bushy hair seemed to crackle with electricity. Ron's eye were glowing dimly in the fire-lit room as he stood eye-to-eye with his brothers, his arms crossed as his stance solid like a boulder as he displayed the fact that he was indeed more muscularly-toned than either of the two twins.

"No, but I _will_ write to our mother." Ron said quietly, as though he had no other choice, while George and Fred gave him horrified looks.

"Low blow, yo." Fred said, clutching at his heart, but fear in his eyes.

"You wouldn't," George said quietly, taking a step back from Hermione.

"Oh, yes, we would," Hermione said grimly, "We can't stop you from eating the stupid things yourselves, or if the fourth-years and up agree to be test subjects, but you're not to give them to the first-years."

Fred and George looked thunderstruck. It was clear that as far as they were concerned, Hermione's threat was way below the belt. With a last threatening look at them, Ron thrust Fred's clipboard and the bag of Fancies back into his arms as Hermione stalked back to her chair by the fire.

Harry gave the two stunned twins a shrug as he went back to his, where they worked on their homework for a little under an hour before Hermione sighed and flopped back into her seat, running her hands through her hair and over her face.

"Oh, it's just no good. I can't concentrate. I'm going to bed." Hermione said edgily as she wrenched her bag open; Harry thought she was about to put her books away, but instead she pulled out two misshapen woolly objects, placed them carefully on a table by the fireplace, covered them with a few screwed-up bits of parchment and a broken quill and stood back to admire the effect.

"Okay… what's this about?" Harry asked, for the first time, completely confused.

"Even I have to ask what in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Ron said, watching her as though he were fearful for her sanity.

"They're hats for the House-elves," she said briskly, now stuffing her books back into her bag, "I did them over the summer. I'm a really slow knitter without magic but now I'm back at school I should be able to make lots more."

"You're leaving out hats… for the house-elves?" Ron said slowly, "And you're covering them up with rubbish first?"

"Yes," Hermione said defiantly, swinging her bag on to her back.

"That's not right." Ron said with a frown, "You're trying to trick them into picking up the hats. You're setting them free when they might not even _want_ to be free. And actually, _you_ can't set them free."

That's right," Harry said with a shrug, completely indifferent to the situation, "You're not really their master."

"Of course they want to be free!" Hermione said at once with her face turning pink as though Harry had said nothing. He was getting a bit annoyed with being ignored today.

"Don't you dare touch those hats, Ronald!"

Hermione was now glaring at Ron, who paused with a hand hovering over one of the hats. From the glance they shared, Harry and Ron both were slightly afraid of what Hermione might do to the red-head if he had actually touched.

Hermione turned on her heel and left. Ron waited until she had disappeared through the door to the girls' dormitories, then cleared the rubbish off the woolly hats.

"They should at least see what they're picking up," Ron said firmly, "It's a rather dishonorable trick to deceive them into a freedom they may not want. Besides, the House-elves like to work, and it's by their choice."

"Then tell Hermione that." Harry said as he started putting away his supplies and parchments.

"I would, but she'd never listen. Plus, she scares me a bit when she gets all activist on us." Ron said as he rolled up the parchment on which he had written (rather fancily) the title of Snape's essay and a fair few of inches of said essay, "You could try though. I think she'd listen to you more so than me." Ron then glanced down at the rolled up parchment with a sigh, "There's no point trying to finish this now. I need two more inches, and I can't do it without Hermione's proof-reading to be sure I've got my facts straight. Besides, I haven't got a clue what you're supposed to do with moonstones, do you?"

"Barely…" Harry muttered as shook his head, noticing as he did so that the ache in his right temple was getting worse. He thought of the long essay he had written on giant wars, and then the few inches he had on the properties of moonstones before the pain stabbed at him sharply. Knowing perfectly well that when the morning came, he would regret not completing his first day's homework, Harry decided he didn't truly care as he piled his books back into his bag.

"I'm going to bed."

He passed Seamus on the way to the door leading to the dormitories, exchanging a nod with the young Irish rogue but did not stop to chat as the throbbing pain in his temple spurred him onward. He had the fleeting impression that Seamus had opened his mouth to speak, but figured that anything the boy had to say could wait until morning as he reached the soothing peace of the stone spiral staircase without having to endure any more provocation or annoyance.

* * *

The following day dawned just as leaden and rainy as the previous one. Plus, Hagrid was still absent from the staff table at breakfast.

"But on the bright side, no Umbridge or Snape today!" Neville exclaimed happily as Hermione yawned widely and poured herself some coffee.

"Well now, don't you look pleased with yourself." Ron observed with a smirk, "What's got you so cheery this morning?"

Indeed, Harry noticed that Hermione did look mildly pleased about something.

"The hats have gone. Seems some of the House-elves _do_ want freedom after all."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Ron told her casually as he sipped at his own coffee, "I'm not sure if hats even count as clothing to them."

"What? You mean those things that were on the table last night?" Neville asked, looking between Ron and Hermione, "I thought some one had Biology and had knitted some woolly bladders."

"Does Hogwarts even teach Biology?" Harry asked as the others shrugged.

"Must you all attempt to ruin my good mood?" Hermione asked pleasantly as Ron shrugged.

"What can I say, I'm hoping for an early morning row." Ron said with a smirk as Hermione smirked back. Neville, who was sitting across from Harry, leaned over the table to whisper something to the green-eyed former-Commander.

"Is that their way of flirting or something?"

"I think so." Harry replied simply with a shrug, "Either than, or they truly despise each other. I, however, highly doubt that it's the latter."

"If you say so." Neville said, sitting back down, "Go Angeal! Getting himself a girl!"

"Quiet, Pup!" Ron barked back as Neville chuckled nervously.

* * *

Double Charms was succeeded by double Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall both spent the first fifteen minutes of their lessons lecturing the class on the importance of OWLs.

"What you must remember, students," the little Professor Flitwick squeaked from perched atop his ever high pile of books so that he could see over the top of his desk, "is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice!"

They then spent over an hour reviewing Summoning Charms, which according to Professor Flitwick were bound to come up in their OWL, and he rounded off the lesson by setting them their largest ever amount of Charms homework.

It was the same, if not worse, in Transfiguration.

"You cannot pass an OWL," Professor McGonagall said grimly, "without serious application, practice and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an OWL in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work." Neville made a sad little disbelieving noise, to which Professor McGonagall turned to sharply.

"Yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom!" Professor McGonagall said, "There's nothing wrong with your work except a lack of confidence. One, I might add, has been improving ever since you've come back this year. So… today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until NEWT level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your OWL."

She was quite right; Harry saw that the others were finding the Vanishing Spells horribly difficult while he, Ron, and Hermione were breezing through them. By the end of a double period neither Neville nor Lavender had managed to vanish the snails on which they were practicing, though Ron said hopefully that he thought Neville's snail was looking a bit paler. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, on the other hand, had all successfully vanished their snails on at least the third attempt, earning a thirty-point bonus for Gryffindor from Professor McGonagall. The trio were the only ones not assigned however; everybody else was told to practice the spell overnight, ready for a fresh attempt on their snails the following afternoon.

Now panicking slightly about the amount of homework they had to do, Neville had quickly dragged a protesting Ron away to the library on their lunch hour to look up moonstones in potion-making and tips on Vanishing Spells. Though she hadn't shown it, Hermione was a bit peeved about Neville's slur at the knit work on her wool hats. Harry had decided to spent the lunch hour with Draco, hanging out in the dungeons like they had in the Virtual Room back in Shin-Ra.

* * *

When the lunch hour was over, Harry went to meet up with Ron and the others while Draco went to find his Slytherin cohorts, or as he liked to call them; his loyal subjects. Harry had only shook his head in amusement before turning on heel and rushing up to the library, only to be greeted to the sight of Ron dragging a blabbing Neville down a flight of stairs while the latter was muttering about moonstones and vanishing spells.

By the time they reached Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon, Harry's head was aching again.

The day had become cool and breezy, and as they walked down the sloping lawn towards Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they felt the occasional drop of rain on their faces. Professor Grubbly-Plank stood waiting for the class some ten yards from Hagrid's front door, a long trestle table in front of her laden with twigs.

As Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione reached their disgruntle Professor, a loud shout of laughter sounded behind them; turning, they saw Draco striding towards them, surrounded by his usual gang of Slytherin cronies. He had clearly just said something highly amusing, because Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and the rest continued to snigger heartily as they gathered around the trestle table and, judging by the way they all kept looking over at Harry, he was able to guess the subject of the joke without too much difficulty.

"Everyone here?" Professor Grubbly-Plank barked, once all the Slytherins and Gryffindors had arrived, "Let's crack on then. Who can tell me what these things are called?"

She indicated the heap of twigs in front of her.

"Bowtruckles… if I'm not mistaken…" Harry heard Hermione mutter to herself before she raised her to answer the question.

Behind her back, Malfoy did a buck-toothed imitation of her jumping up and down in eagerness to answer a question. That was, until Ron smacked him in the back of the head. Neville gave a loud chuckle as Pansy Parkinson rounded on them, but then jumped back with a scream. The twigs on the table leapt into the air and revealed themselves to be what looked like tiny pixieish creatures made of wood, each with knobbly brown arms and legs, two twig-like fingers at the end of each hand and a funny flat, bark-like face in which a pair of beetle-brown eyes glittered.

"Oooooh!" said Parvati and Lavender, thoroughly irritating Harry. Anyone would have thought Hagrid had never shown them impressive creatures; admittedly, the Flobberworms had been a bit dull, but the Salamanders and Hippogriffs had been interesting enough, and the Blast-Ended Skrewts perhaps too much so.

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls!" Professor Grubbly-Plank said sharply, scattering a handful of what looked like brown rice among the stick-creatures, who immediately fell upon the food, "So - anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles," Hermione answered, "They're tree-guardians, who usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points for Gryffindor," Professor Grubbly-Plank said, "Yes, these are Bowtruckles, and as Miss Granger rightly says; they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Woodlice," Hermione said promptly.

"Well now, that explains why what I thought had been brown rice is moving…" Harry said quietly as Draco and Ron nodded, both having moved to either side of him with Neville at Ron's other side and Pansy at Draco's own.

"But they also eat fairy eggs if they can get them." Hermione continued as Grubbly-Plank nodded.

"Good girl, take another five points for your house. So, whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a Bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of woodlice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will try to gouge at human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few woodlice and a Bowtruckle - I have enough here for one between three - you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body-parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

The class surged forwards around the trestle table. Harry deliberately circled around the back so that he ended up right next to Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked, not bothering with faked pleasantries while everyone else was choosing Bowtruckles.

"Never you mind," said Professor Grubbly-Plank repressively, which had been her attitude last time Hagrid had failed to turn up for a class, too. Smirking all over his pointed face, Draco Malfoy leaned across Harry and seized the largest Bowtruckle.

"My friend do you-"

"If you spout a quote of Loveless at me, I will have these little beasts attack you and stab out your eyes." Harry threatened as Draco looked horrified.

"But I love my stormy-grey eyes! They make me look smart, sexy, and mysterious!" Draco said, knowing full well that if Harry wanted, the creatures would gladly do the green-eyed boy's bidding with a few whispered words.

"Then get lost." Harry said out of the side of his mouth as Draco huffed indignantly, but did not move.

"I'll leave a note behind the serpent." Draco said as Harry quirked a brow, "My father brags a lot in his letters, mostly because he bribes the Ministry into not checking his and other Death Eater mail. The half-giant is fine… for now, at least… Though he should try only standing up to things his own size, because those bigger than him… well, I'd rather not say…"

Harry felt himself bristle with annoyance as Draco walked away, throwing a smirk over his shoulder. It was just like the annoying poetic fool to end on such a note that had Harry anxious and frustrated until he could read whether message Draco was going to leave. The damn flamboyant mage was always leaving him on vague ends or handing him cryptic messages.

Damn the poetic! Damn them all!

Those were Harry's furious thoughts as he hurried back around the table to Ron and Hermione, who were squatting on the grass some distance away and attempting to persuade a Bowtruckle to remain still long enough for them to draw it. Harry pulled out parchment and quill, crouched down beside the others and related in a whisper what Draco had just .

"Dumbledore would know if some thing had happened to Hagrid," Ron said at once as Hermione nodded just as quickly, "You know Genesis, always playing mind games. It'd play right into his smug little hands to looked worried; it shows that he's got more info than us, and then he'll be dancing around here mocking us."

"Just ignore him, Harry." Hermione said, "Here, hold the Bowtruckle for a moment, just so I can draw its face…"

"Yes," came Malfoy's clear drawl from the group nearest them, "Father was talking to the Minister just a couple of days ago, you know, and it sounds as though the Ministry's really determined to crack down on sub-standard teaching in this place. So even if that Hagrid does show up again, he'll probably be sent packing straightaway."

"What is he talking about?" Ron narrowed his eyes as Harry got the idea.

"He's trying to warn us about the Ministry's movement through his normal banter." Harry said, not turning around, "So, Umbridge has been reporting back to the Ministry already, huh? That means we have to move fast to intercept her."

"But how?" Hermione asked as Harry blinked.

"I haven't figured that out yet." Harry admitted quietly, "We don't have near the amount of resources we had in the company…"

When the bell echoed distantly over the grounds, Harry rolled up his Bowtruckle picture and marched off to Herbology with Hermione and Ron in tow, Neville and Ron having a conversation about swords while Draco's vague message still rang in his ears.

"The washy little git…" Harry said through gritted teeth, annoyed that everyone between Dumbledore and Draco wanted to be vague with him.

"Harry, don't go picking a fight with Draco." Ron said, "You two could destroy the school with half the things you know.

"Yeah!" Neville said, looking as though he recalled bruises they had each given him from fights.

"And don't forget, Harry, that Malfoy's a prefect now; he could make life difficult for you-"

"And truly I do sometimes find myself awakening in the night, from the deepest of slumbers, wishing and wondering to know exactly what a difficult life would be like?" Harry snapped sarcastically as Ron chuckled with a shake of his head, Neville outright laughed, but Hermione frowned. Together, the four traipsed across the vegetable patch. The sky still appearing unable to make up its mind whether it wanted to rain or not.

"I just wish Hagrid would hurry up and get back, that's all." Harry said in a low voice, as they reached the greenhouses, "And don't say that Grubbly-Plank woman's a better teacher!" he added threateningly as Neville raised his hands in defense.

"Chill, dude! I wasn't going to! But you gotta admit, she's alright." Neville said as Harry snarled at him, his annoyance rising.

"Perhaps, but she'll never be as good as Hagrid." Harry said firmly,

"You are fully aware that what we just experienced was an exemplary lesson, right?" Ron asked, amusement clear in his tone.

"Yes." Harry snapped, "And you do realize that I am thoroughly annoyed about it, right?"

"Really? I couldn't tell." Ron quipped as he smirked at Harry, who couldn't find it in him to be annoyed with Ron's mirthful persona.

The door of the nearest greenhouse opened and some fourth-years spilled out of it, including Ginny.

"Hi! Have fun!" Ginny said brightly as she passed them, patting a dirt-encrusted hand on Ron's shoulder. While Ron was groaning and cleaning himself with Neville laughing at him, Luna Lovegood emerged from the greenhouse, trailing behind the rest of the class, a smudge of earth on her nose, and her hair tied in a knot on the top of her head. When she saw Harry, her prominent eyes seemed to bulge excitedly and she made a beeline straight for him.

Many of his classmates turned curiously to watch. Luna took a great breath and then said, without so much as a preliminary hello, "I support you one hundred percent, sir, and will be addressing these claims to the rest of those within the Turks department under the command of Leader Tseng."

"Right, see that you do." Harry fluently as he patted her shoulder, seeing that she was wearing what looked like a pair of orange radishes for earrings, a fact that Parvati and Lavender seemed to have noticed, as they were both giggling and pointing at her earlobes.

"You can laugh," Luna said, her voice rising, apparently under the impression that Parvati and Lavender were laughing at what she had said rather than what she was wearing, "but people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack! They also mistook that walking calamity Jenova as one of the Ancient Cetra! Well, they were wrong!"

"I've never heard of such creatures before…" Neville muttered as Ron shrugged.

"You also never heard of soap and deodorant back in Midgar," Ron quipped with his arms crossed, "so you might want to keep your mouth closed. Ya know, just in case you forgot about toothpaste and mouthwash since then."

Neville only chuckled nervously, though Harry smirked as he saw the dark-haired youth sneakily check his breath behind Ron's back.

"Perhaps, as we can't _prove_ these creatures don't exist. Science isn't able to prove something _doesn't_ exist, after all." Hermione said impatiently to Luna, "However, I for one am of the opinion that those creatures you mentioned _don't_ exist. And until presented with factual proof, I will _continue_ not to believe in such things."

Luna gave Hermione's scientific babble a withering look before she gracefully flounced away, radishes swinging madly as Parvati and Lavender were not the only ones hooting with laughter now.

"Do you mind not offending the only people who believe me?" Harry asked Hermione with a small smirk as they made their way into class.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, she's not the only one, and you can do better than her!" Hermione snapped, "Ginny's told me all about her; apparently, Miss Luna Lovegood only believes in things as long as there's no proof at all. Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone whose father runs _The Quibbler_."

"You know, she's also a former Turk, and was one of the Elite." Harry informed as Hermione went stiff, "Offending her may not be healthy."

"I'll take my chances." Hermione said, her voice once again tranquil and calm after a deep breath.

Ron was about to say something, probably about how it isn't nice or "honorable" to offend allies, but before he could give out a lecture, Ernie Macmillan had stepped up to them.

"I want you to know, Potter," Ernie said in a loud, carrying voice, "that it's not only weirdos who support you. I personally believe you one hundred percent. My family have always stood firm behind Dumbledore, and so do I."

"Thank you very much, Macmillan." Harry said smoothly, taken aback but pleased. The Hufflepuff boy might have been more than a little pompous on occasions like this, but Harry was still glad to know that he did, in fact, have more allies than he knew.

Ernie's words had certainly wiped the smile from Lavender Brown's face and as Harry turned to talk to Ron and Hermione, Harry caught Seamus' expression, which looked both pleased and determined.

To nobody's surprise, Professor Sprout started their lesson by lecturing them about the importance of OWLs. Harry wished all the teachers would stop doing this; Neville whispered over to them that he was starting to get an anxious, twisted feeling in his stomach every time he remembered how much homework he had to do, a feeling that Harry and Ron had gotten themselves when Professor Sprout gave them yet another essay at the end of class. Tired and smelling strongly of dragon dung (Professor Sprout's preferred type of fertilizer) the Gryffindors trooped back up to the castle an hour and a half later, none of them talking very much; it had been another long day.

* * *

"Well, I'm starving.": Harry said suddenly in a conversational tone as Ron nodded.

"So am I." he then threw a nasty look at Neville, "For some reason, I missed lunch today."

"Yeah, come on, buddy! We got a lot of work done, yeah?" Neville said in his own defense, "Lighten up, man!"

"Well, I have my first detention with Umbridge at five o'clock," Harry said, "So I'm heading straight to the Great Hall."

"You're not going to drop your bag off at the tower?" Hermione asked as Harry shook his head.

"No, straight to dinner." Harry said, as he walked through the large heavy-set wooden doors of the Great Hall.

However, he had barely stepped through the entrance when a loud and angry voice yelled, "Oi, Potter!"

"What now?" Harry muttered wearily, turning to face Angelina Johnson, who looked as though she was in a towering temper.

"I'll tell you what now," she said, marching straight up to him and poking him hard in the chest with her finger, "How come you've landed yourself in detention for five o'clock on Friday?"

"And exactly what does that-?" Harry snarled, but then it hit him and his face took on an aloof look, "Are you seriously bothering me and my empty stomach right now about Keeper tryouts?"

"Oh, now he remembers!" Angelina snarled, ignoring Harry's comments, "Didn't I tell you I wanted to do a tryout with the whole team, and find someone who fitted in with everyone! Didn't I tell you I'd booked the Quidditch pitch specially? And now you've decided you're not going to be there!"

"I didn't decide not to be there, and I'm not required to be there either." Harry snapped right back, somewhat stung by the injustice of her words, "I have detention with that walking toadstool Umbridge. Now then, if you'll excuse me, the House-elves have prepared a fine meal for my empty stomach to devour."

"Harry Potter, don't you _dare_ walk away from me!" Angelina yelled fiercely, but still Harry turned on heel and stalked away, making her running up and block his path, "You…! You…! YOU!"

"What?" Harry whispered with a deadly intense stare, realizing that he was a bit taller than the dark-skinned witch, who looked ever part of the typical female fury.

"You go straight to that woman and demand her to let you off on Friday," Angelina said fiercely, nose to nose with Harry as she stared up at him with furious brown eyes, "and I don't care how you do it! Tell her You-Know-Who's a figment of your imagination for all I care! Just make sure you're there!"

And with that, she brushed past him and stormed out of the Great Hall as though she had won a pissing contest while Ron smoothly crossed his arms while rubbing his chin.

"Ya know, it looks to me as if she might be just as obsessed with Quidditch as Oliver Wood was." Ron said, a smirk playing on his lips as Harry shot him a death glare, annoyed with the woman demanding things of him.

"Shut up." Harry growled as Neville hooted with laughter.

"You know what?" Neville said to them, "I think we'd better check with Puddlemere United whether Oliver Wood's been killed during a training session, because Angelina seems to be channeling his spirit!"

"What do you think the odds are of Umbridge letting you off for Friday?" Ron asked skeptically, as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"I think I have a higher chance of Snape suddenly wishing to adopt me because he was in love with my father and hated my mother for marrying him." Harry quipped dryly as the others stared at him in disbelieving silence.

"So that's less than zero, yeah?" Neville asked as Harry nodded without glancing up, tipping lamb chops onto his plate and starting to eat, "Are you even going to try?"

"It depends on what she has me doing." Harry said, "If it's the standard detention stuff, then I guess I had better appease the women in my life. I'll probably offer to do two more detentions or something…" he swallowed a mouthful of potato and added, "I hope she doesn't keep me too long this evening, though."

"You realize we've got to write three essays, practice Vanishing Spells for McGonagall, work out a counter-charm for Flitwick, finish the Bowtruckle drawing and start that stupid dream diary for Trelawney?" Neville said, taking a savage bite from some meat on his plate.

Ron quirked a brow and looked as though he wanted to groan aloud while he was gazing up at the ceiling for some reason, "And it looks like it's going to rain."

"What's that got to do with our homework?" Hermione asked, her own eyebrows raised.

"Nothing," Ron said as he turned his gaze down to his plate, his ears reddening.

"It's not good weather to practice Quidditch in." Harry said with a small smile as Ron shot him an annoyed glance.

* * *

At five to five Harry bade the other three farewell and set off for Umbridge's office on the third floor. When he knocked on the door she called, "Come in," in a sugary voice. He entered cautiously, looking around.

He had known the office under three of its previous occupants.

In the days when Gilderoy Lockhart had lived here it had been plastered in beaming portraits of himself. When Lupin had occupied it, it was likely you would meet some fascinating Dark creature in a cage or tank if you came to call. In Barty Crouch's impostoring Moody days it had been packed with various instruments and artifacts for the detection of wrong doing and concealment.

Now, however, it looked totally and completely unrecognizable. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each one residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large Technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Harry stared at them, transfixed by the horror, until Professor Umbridge spoke again.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter."

Harry had been so traumatized by the office that he actually jumped a bit and looked around wildly. He had not noticed the squat toad-faced woman at first because she was wearing a luridly flowered set of robes that blended only too well with the tablecloth on the desk behind her.

"Evening, Umbridge," Harry said stiffly, deciding that the sooner these things were over, the _much_ better for him and his poor vision.

"Well, sit down, dear." she said, pointing towards a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for him.

"Before we get started," Harry said calmly, without moving an inch, "I would like to ask something of you."

The woman's bulging eyes narrowed like a frog that had caught sight of a fly.

"Oh, yes? What is it dear?"

"Well, I'm a part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and would like to skip the detention for Friday and serve another night instead." Harry asked, not a trace of positive nor negative emotion in his tone. His tone was simply neutral, as though he didn't care one way or the other but was asking just for the sake of asking.

The fact was, from the type of person Umbridge was and for her role at Hogwarts, he knew long before he reached the end of his sentence that it was no good.

"Oh, no, Mr. Potter." Umbridge said, smiling so widely that she looked as though she had just swallowed a particularly juicy fly, "Oh, no, no, no! This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Mr. Potter, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one's convenience. No, you will come here at five o'clock tomorrow, and the next day, and on Friday too, and you will do your detentions as planned. I think it rather a good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you."

Harry's only outward display was a lifting of his right brow, but on the inside he felt his blood boil while surging to his head, a thumping noise in his ears. So, he told "evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories", did he?

She was watching him with her head slightly to one side, still smiling widely, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking and was waiting to see whether he would start shouting again. With almost no effort at all, because it was in fact just to easy, Harry smiled lightly at her, making her own smile drop as he walked toward the door of her office and dropped his schoolbag beside it before taking a seat in the straight-backed chair Umbridge had directed him to.

"Well, I just had to ask." Harry said, almost pleased with himself as he saw Umbridge's lips twitch, "Never cared much either way. Now then, lets get this over with. We've both got lives to live; me more so than you."

Umbridge's eye twitched subtly before her smile came back in all it's sickly sweetness and she clasped her hands together neatly in front of her.

"There," she said with forced sweetness, "I can see that we're getting better at controlling our temper already, aren't we? Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Potter."

"Fine with me." Harry said, about to get his own quill and ink before Umbridge raised a hand for him to pause.

"No… not with your quill," she added, "You're going to be using a rather… _special_ one of mine. Here you are."

She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point. Harry narrowed his eyes at it, because it didn't look like an other quill he had ever seen.

"I want you to write; I must not tell lies." she told him softly as Harry raised a brow.

"How many times?" Harry asked, ignoring the obvious to see where this little tiff would go.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," Umbridge said sweetly with a small girlish giggle that made Harry's stomach sick, "Off you go, dear."

She moved over to her desk, sat down and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Harry raised the sharp black quill, his emerald-green eyes bore into Umbridge's soul when she looked up at him.

"You haven't given me an ink." Harry grounded out as Umbridge smiled more widely.

"Oh, you won't need ink, dear." she said, with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.

Harry stared sharply at her for a while before he slowly placed the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: I must not tell lies.

He let out a gasp at the sudden sharp pain in the back of his hand.

The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be glowing red ink with an eerie green tint to it. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Harry's right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel. Yet, even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin was healing over it, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth.

Harry looked up at Umbridge, his eyes murderous as she watched him, her wide, toad-like mouth stretched into a smile.

"Yes?" she asked in her sugary tone.

"Oh, it's nothing," Harry said, smiling back as he refused to show any form of weakness now that he knew her game, "Nothing at all…"

He looked back at the parchment, placed the quill on it once more, wrote "I must not tell lies", and felt the searing pain on the back of his hand for a second time; once again, the words had been cut into his skin; once again, they healed over in the fraction of a second.

And on it went. Again and again Harry wrote the words on the parchment in what he soon came to realize was not ink, but his own glowing blood. And, again and again, the words were cut into the back of his hand, healed, and reappeared the next time he set quill to parchment.

Darkness fell outside Umbridge's window. Harry did not ask when he would be allowed to stop. He did not even check his watch.

He knew she was watching him for signs of weakness and he narrowed his eyes at the paper as he blatantly refused to show any, not even if he had to sit there all night, cutting open his own the back of his hand with the very quill he wrote with…

"Come here," she said, after what seemed hours.

He stood up smoothly, his hand stinging with a dull ache. When he looked down at it, he saw that the cut had healed over once again, looking still as if he had never wrote past the first line.

"Your hand, dear." she said as Harry smiled down at her in a condensing manner, extending the appendage to her. She took it in her own as Harry repressed a shudder when she touched him with her thick, stubby fingers on which she wore a number of ugly old rings.

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet." she said, frowning at the hand before smiling up at him with sadistic glee, "No, not much at all. Well then, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we?"

"Yes, we will." Harry said smoothly, a slight purr in his tone as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You may go." she said, her tone not as sweet as it had once been while Harry strolled out, casually whistling a tune.

As soon as he was out of her office and down the corridor, Harry's eye twitched as he flexed his scarred hand. He would not curse. He would not vocalize the pain that had ripped through him for the past five hours. As Sephiroth, the pain would have been nothing but a sadistic pleasure compared to what the enemy Wutai or the Turks could have done to him, but in this new body… he was not accustom to such pain just yet as he continued to flex his hand. But he would soon be.

Glancing about as he made his way back to Gryffindor tower, Harry realized that the school was quite deserted; it was surely past midnight. That meant, since his detention had started at five, that he had actually endured her torture for over seven hours instead of five.

"Interesting…" he muttered to himself, still flexing his right hand.

He walked slowly up the corridor, thinking about the work he had due. He luckily he was good at magic, so he didn't have to practice Vanishing Spells. He and Ron had made up dreams for their dream journals. However, he had not finished the diagram of the Bowtruckle, nor had he finished any his essays but the one for History of Magic.

* * *

The next morning, Harry skipped breakfast to hurry through his essays, and was surprised to find a disheveled Ron keeping him company in the library.

"Why didn't you, Hermione, and Neville finish your's last night?" Harry asked without glancing up, as Ron raced through books on counter-charms and magical plants. Ron, who had been fast asleep when Harry got back to the dormitory, muttered something about "doing other stuff", bent low over his parchment and scrawled a few inches in hurried messy penmanship.

"Why can't you just say you're trying out?" Harry asked, still not looking up from his work as Ron groaned.

"I still have my pride, ya know." Ron said gruffly, "Besides, I don't need you laughing at me. You know how much I use to hate flying."

"I wouldn't laugh…" Harry said quietly, slamming his textbook shut, "Done!"

"I've made-up a new dream." Ron said, taking out his dream journal as they hurried off to the North Tower together for Divination, "Said I dreamed I was buying a new pair of shoes, she can't make anything weird out of that, can she?"

"Isn't it a bit dishonorable to lie about your dreams?" Harry asked as Ron quickly changed the subject.

"So, how was detention with Umbridge, anyway? What did she make you do?"

Harry hesitated for a fraction of a second, "Swear to me that you wouldn't speak of what I'm about to utter."

"Wh-What?" Ron said, stopping in his tracks as Harry grabbed him by his collar and stared him harshly in the eyes.

"Swear it." he snarled as Ron jerked back, breaking the hold.

"Fine, I swear it. It'll be completely confidential until you decide to speak on it with me." Ron said, "Now what's up?"

"She had me write lines-"

"Well, that's not so bad, huh?" Ron said as Harry gave him a deadpan look for being interrupted.

"In my own blood." Harry said, holding up his hand to show the scar "I Must Not Tell Lies" written in his own handwriting.

"That…! That…! That… woman!" Ron said, fighting hard not to insult his teacher any further than he was probably doing mentally, "This can't go on!"

"It can and it will." Harry said, glaring into thin air, "I refuse to show that woman an ounce of weakness. We underestimated her once, I will not make the same mistake twice. She is now a category Beta-level threat."

"Wow…" Ron breathed as he caught up with Harry's swift stride, "Not even the Third-class SOLDIERS back in Shin-Ra got that high on your list."

"Because they never challenged me directly." Harry growled, his eyes glowing dimly in the morning light.

"Did she at least let you off for Friday?" Ron asked, "It would be the least she could do if she's going to make you torture yourself for her sick amusement."

"No, she did not." Harry said dryly as Ron groaned sympathetically, but Harry could tell he was doing a lot to suppress his rage and not take it out on others.

* * *

It was another bad and annoying day for Harry; he was made to help his fellow students in practicing Vanishing Spells. He had to give up his lunch hour to complete the picture of the Bowtruckle and, meanwhile, Professors McGonagall, Grubbly-Plank and Sinistra gave them yet more homework, which he had no prospect of finishing that evening because of his second detention with Umbridge. To cap it all, Angelina Johnson tracked him down at dinner again and, on learning that he would not be able to attend Friday's Keeper tryouts, told him she was not at all impressed by his attitude and that she expected players who wished to remain on the team to put training before their other commitments.

"Woman, I'm in detention!" Harry snapped at her as she glared at him, not backing down from his new attitude, "Have you truly deluded yourself into believing that I'd rather be stuck in a room with that toad-faced dullard instead of playing Quidditch?"

"Then find a way out, dummy!" she yelled back.

"I can't, you useless dullard!" Harry shot back as Angelina huffed and stormed away.

"Well… at least it's only lines." Hermione said consolingly, as Harry and Ron exchanged a look before Harry sank back onto his bench and looked down at his steak-n-kidney pie, which he no longer fancied very much but forced himself to eat, "It's not as if it's a dreadful punishment, really…"

Harry opened his mouth, but closed it again and nodded. He was not really sure why he was not telling Hermione exactly what was happening in Umbridge's room: he only knew that he did not want to see her look of horror; that would make the whole thing seem worse and therefore more difficult to face. At least he knew Ron wouldn't be on about it with what they went through in the past life.

He also couldn't help feeling that this was between himself and Umbridge, a private battle of wills, and he swore he was not going to give her the satisfaction of hearing that he had complained about it.

"I can't believe how much homework we've got!" Ron said, changing the subject when he caught Hermione's curious look over Harry's profile.

"Well, why didn't you do any last night?" Hermione asked him, turning she critical gaze onto him, "Where were you, anyway?"

"I fancied a walk." Ron said with a causal shrug, though Harry could here his shifty tone.

Harry was glad that, at the moment, he was not the only one concealing things from Hermione.

* * *

The second detention was just as bad as the previous one. The skin on the back of Harry's hand became irritated more quickly now and was soon very red. Harry thought it unlikely that it would keep healing as effectively for long. Soon the cut would remain etched into his hand and Umbridge would, perhaps, be satisfied. He let no gasp of pain escape him, however, and from the moment of entering the room to the moment of his dismissal, again past midnight, he attempted to further irritate her smugness with casual conversation and pleasantries.

His homework situation, however, was now desperate, and when he returned to the Gryffindor common room he did not, though exhausted, go to bed, but opened his books and took up his half-finished moonstone essay for Snape. It was half past two by the time he had finished it. He knew he had done a barely adequate job, but there was no help for it; unless he had something to give in he would be in detention with Snape next. He then dashed off answers to the questions Professor McGonagall had set them, cobbled together something on the proper handling of Bowtruckles for Professor Grubbly- Plank, and staggered up to bed, where he fell fully clothed on top of the covers and fell asleep immediately.

Thursday passed in a haze of tiredness. Ron seemed very sleepy too, though Harry could not see why he should be. Harry's third detention passed in the same way as the previous two, except that after two hours the words "I must not tell lies" were only just barely fading from the back of his hand. It was after another hour that the scar began oozing droplets of blood, and the pause in the pointed quill's scratching made Professor Umbridge look up.

"Ah," she said softly, moving around her desk to examine his hand herself, "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may leave for tonight."

"Would you like me to come back tomorrow to keep you company?" Harry asked tersely, picking up his schoolbag with a twitch of his eye as he still used his right hand, refusing to use the left no matter how badly his right was smarting.

"Oh yes," Umbridge breathed, smiling as widely as before, "Yes! Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work. Don't you?"

"Yes, of course." Harry said as he stalked out of her office.

Harry had never before considered the possibility that there might be another teacher in the world he hated more than the Snape he had once known, but as he walked back towards Gryffindor Tower he had to admit he had found a strong contender. She was sadistic, he thought as he climbed a staircase to the seventh floor, she was an evil, twisted, old bint if she thought for even a moment that she could contend with him in a battle of wills. The fat, squat, chunky complexion of-

"Ron?"

He had reached the top of the stairs, turned right and almost walked into Ron, who was lurking behind a statue of Lachlan the Lanky, clutching his broomstick. He gave a great leap of surprise when he saw Harry and attempted to hide his new Cleansweep Eleven behind his back.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked dryly, subtly moving his right hand behind his back.

"Er… n-nothing." Ron said, then pointed a finger accusingly at him, "What are _you_ doing?!"

Harry only frowned at him.

"Practicing Quidditch, old friend?"

"Dammit, I'm not old!" Ron said, but then blinked before he let out a chuckle, "Yeah, the Quidditch. Also, I'm hiding to catch Fred and George, too, if you must know. I just saw them transporting a trunk of wires and it was beeping. I think they've brought electronics into the school and have been tested to see if they work on something."

"So?" Harry said.

"They've been going from the dungeons to the seventh floor and back again. I don't know what they're up to, but yesterday I saw them with a bunch of first-years. I bet they're testing stuff on them again, but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt because I saw a few first-years helping them carry those electronics."

"Why are you trying out for the team, anyway?" Harry asked, not really caring what Fred and George were up to.

"So you and I have more time together, man!" Ron said joyously as he slugged Harry in the arm playfully, "We'll be able to plot and such at practice; especially against Umbridge."

"Brilliant, my muscle-bound friend." Harry said as Ron blinked, not noticing the wince Harry did after the playful punch to his right arm, "You've been practicing every evening since Tuesday, haven't you?"

"Yeah… just on my own, though. I've been trying to bewitch Quaffles to fly at me, but it hasn't been easy and I don't know how much use it'll be." Ron said with a sigh, looking nervous and anxious for the first time in a while, "Fred and George are going to laugh themselves stupid when I turn up for the tryouts. They haven't stopped taking the mickey out of me since I got made a prefect."

"I wish I was going to be there," Harry said bitterly, as they set off together towards the common room.

"Yeah, so do- Harry, what the hell is that on the back of your hand?"

Harry, who had just rubbed at the dull ache in his scar while switching hands for his backpack, tried to hide his right hand, but had as much success as Ron with his Cleansweep.

"The…! That old hag!" Ron said in a revolted whisper as they came to a halt in front of the Fat Lady, who was dozing peacefully with her head against her frame, "I thought that maybe it wouldn't actually go on, because you could always rat her out, but… She's sick! Go to McGonagall, say something!"

"No." Harry said at once, "I'm not giving her the satisfaction of knowing I went running to the skirt of those around me."

"Wh-What?" Ron said, showing Harry his healing hand, "This is something to run to a skirt about! We're not in SOLDIER anymore, this isn't supposed to be legal! You can't let her get away with this!"

"There's also the fact that we have no clue how much power McGonagall's got over her on this… over how much she has over McGonagall…" Harry said, remaining calm while his friend panic about the situation.

"Then Dumbledore! Tell Dumbledore!"

"No." Harry said as flatly as roadkill.

"Wh-What? Why not, dammit?!" Ron nearly bellowed, but whispered harshly at Harry when he remembered the Fat Lady.

"I'm not sure Dumbledore is as… dependable as he once was." Harry said, but both could tell that was not the true reason. If Dumbledore did not trust him with crucial information, then the old man could wallow in guilt when he found out about the detentions and why Harry would not come to him.

"Well, then we'll have to start train-" Ron began fiercely, but he was interrupted by the Fat Lady, who had been watching them sleepily since Ron's startled outbursts.

"Are you going to give me the password or will I have to stay awake all night waiting for you to finish your conversation?" she bellowed as they both jumped, giving the password and rushing inside.

* * *

Friday dawned sullen and sodden as the rest of the week. Though Harry automatically glanced towards the staff table when he entered the Great Hall, it was without any real hope of seeing Hagrid, and he turned his mind immediately to his more pressing problems, such as the mountainous pile of homework he had to do and the prospect of yet another detention with Umbridge.

Two things sustained Harry that day. One was the thought that it was almost the weekend; the other was that, dreadful though his final detention with Umbridge was sure to be, he had a distant view of the Quidditch pitch from her window and might, with luck, be able to see something of Ron's tryout. These were rather feeble rays of light, it was true, but Harry was grateful for anything that might lighten his present darkness; he had never had a worse first week of term at Hogwarts.

At five o'clock that evening he knocked on Professor Umbridge's office door for what he sincerely hoped would be the final time, and was told to enter. The blank parchment lay ready for him on the lace-covered table, the pointed black quill beside it.

"Dolores, how are you this fine day?" Harry asked smugly as the woman's sweet smile twitched for a moment.

"You know what to do, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said, smiling sweetly at him, though he had seen it more than enough to know that it was very forced.

Harry picked up the quill and glanced through the window. If he just shifted his chair an inch or so to the right… on the pretext of shifting himself closer to the table, he managed it. He now had a distant view of the Gryffindor Quidditch team soaring up and down the pitch, while half a dozen black figures stood at the foot of the three high goalposts, apparently awaiting their turn to Keep. It was impossible to tell which one was Ron at this distance, even with his superior sight.

"I Must Not Tell Lies", Harry wrote in the same fanciful script that he always did just to spite the woman making him do so. The cut in the back of his right hand opened and began to bleed afresh.

I must not tell lies. The cut dug deeper, stinging and smarting as Harry kept his head down, his eye twitching as he refused to give voice to his pain.

I must not tell lies. Blood trickled down his wrist, but went ignored as he was sure Umbridge wanted him to worry about it.

He chanced another glance out of the window. Whoever was defending the goalposts now was doing a very poor job indeed. Katie Bell scored twice in the few seconds Harry dared to watch.

Hoping very much that the Keeper wasn't Ron, he dropped his eyes back to the parchment glowing with a green tint in his red blood. He was now sure that it was Mako energy, but he had yet to discern how it had gotten into the veins of his new body.

I must not tell lies.

I must not tell lies.

He looked up whenever he thought he could risk it; when he could hear the scratching of Umbridge's quill or the opening of a desk drawer. The third person to try out was pretty good, the fourth was terrible, the fifth dodged a Bludger exceptionally well but then fumbled an easy save. That one might have been Ron, as he knew Angeal could dodge or take a hit, but his recovery was almost abysmal.

The sky was darkening, and Harry doubted he would be able to see the sixth and seventh people at all.

I must not tell lies.

I must not tell lies.

The parchment was now dotted with drops of blood from the back of his hand, which was searing with pain. When he next looked up, night had fallen and the Quidditch pitch was no longer visible.

"Let's see if you've gotten the message yet, shall we?" Umbridge said in her soft voice, half an hour later. She moved towards him, stretching out her short ringed fingers for his arm. And then, as she took hold of him to examine the words now cut into his skin, pain seared, not across the back of his hand, but across the scar on his forehead. At the same time, he had a most peculiar sensation somewhere around his midriff.

He nearly wrenched his arm out of her grip, but instead, calmed himself as he got to his feet, staring hard at her. She looked back at him, a smile stretching her wide, slack mouth.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" she said softly as he did not answer.

He wouldn't admit it, not to anyone, but his heart was thumping very hard and fast. Was she talking about his hand or… did she know what he had just felt in his scar?

"Well, I think I've made my point, Mr. Potter. You may go."

He caught up his schoolbag and left the room as casual as possible, but still moved quicker than he would have liked.

Stay calm, he told himself, as he sprinted up the stairs. Stay calm, it doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means…

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" he gasped at the Fat Lady, who swung forwards once more.

A roar of sound greeted him. Ron came running towards him, beaming all over his face and slopping Butterbeer down his front from the goblet he was clutching.

"I did it! I'm in! I'm Keeper!"

"Huh? Oh… brilliant!" Harry said, trying to smile naturally, while his heart continued to race, and his hand throbbed and bled.

"Have a Butterbeer, my good friend." Ron said, pressing a bottle to him, "I can't believe I did- where's Hermione gone?"

"She over there, yo." Fred, who was also swigging Butterbeer, said as he pointed to an armchair by the fire. Hermione was dozing in it, her drink tipping precariously in her hand.

"She fell asleep this early?" Harry asked as Fred shrugged.

"She must have been exhausted," George said quietly from his place near them.

"Well, she said she was pleased when I told her." Ron said, shrugging casually while trying to hide his slightly put out look.

"Let her sleep." George said a bit to casually as Harry narrowed his eyes. Ron must have noticed it too with Fred's grin. It was a few moments before Harry noticed that several of the first-years gathered around them bore unmistakable signs of recent nosebleeds.

"You don't think they slipped her something, do you?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowed at the twins. He was completely uncaring what they did to the naïve first-years that hadn't yet learned the dangers of the Weasley twins, but messing with Hermione was crossing a line into dangerous predatory territory.

His territory.

"They better not have!" Ron said harshly as he marched over to the twins and began a shouting match Harry had never seen before; not in Ron Weasley, and not in Angeal Hewley.

"Ron, stop your row and come over here!" Katie Bell called out as all the three youngest Weasley males turned to her, "We need to see if Oliver's old robes fit you. We can even take off his name and put yours on instead."

As Ron moved away, throwing a withering look over his shoulder as Fred mocked fall dead, Angelina came striding up to Harry. Harry crossed his arms lightly at her, frowning as he didn't feel like dealing with her pathetic frustrations at the moment.

"Sorry I was a bit short with you earlier, Harry," she said abruptly while Harry frowned even deeper, "It's stressful; this managing lark, you know. I'm starting to think I was a bit hard on Oliver sometimes…" she was watching Ron over the rim of her goblet with a slight frown on her face.

"Look, I know he's your best mate, but he's not fabulous," she said bluntly, "I think with a bit of training he'll be all right, though. He comes from a family of good Quidditch players."

"And?" Harry asked tersely, not caring for her words as she went on.

"I'm banking on him turning out to have a bit more talent than he showed today, to be honest. Vicky Frobisher and Geoffrey Hooper both flew better this evening, but Hoopers a real whiner, he's always moaning about something or other, and Vicky's involved in all sorts of societies. She admitted herself that if training clashed with her Charms Club she'd put Charms first. Anyway, we're having a practice session at two o'clock tomorrow, so just make sure you're there this time."

"I'll see if I can fit it into my schedule." Harry said savagely, while Angelina glared at him, "I've been contemplating Charms Club-"

"Oh you-!" but she stopped herself, because both knew that if the team lost Harry they would not have an easy season at all, "Look, just do me a favor."

"And what would that be?" Harry asked, staring down at her as she matched his glowing gaze.

"Help Ron as much as you can, okay?" she said as Harry glanced at his friend, who was looking moodier with Katie Bell the longer Angelina had been talking. It was clear that Ron, with their augmented hearing, had heard every word.

"I'm sure that Ron will do fine on his own." Harry said, and with that gave Angelina a dismissive wave. She stood there for a moment, looking caught between hurt and outraged, but finally she sighed and strolled back to Alicia Spinnet with a frown marring her beautiful face.

Harry himself moved over to sit next to Hermione, who awoke with a jerk as he put down his bag.

"Oh, Harry, it's you… good about Ron, isn't it?" she said blearily, looking as though a nap was just what the doctor ordered, "I'm just so-so… so tired," she yawned. "I was up until one o'clock making more hats. They're disappearing like mad!"

And sure enough, now that he looked, Harry saw that there were woolly hats concealed all around the room where unwary elves might accidentally pick them up.

"Great…" Harry said distractedly; if he did not tell somebody soon, he would burst, "Listen, Hermione, I was just up in Umbridge's office and she touched my arm."

Hermione listened closely. When Harry had finished, she said slowly "You're worried You- Know-Who's controlling her like he controlled Quirrell?"

"Not really, no." Harry said, not caring to drop his voice, "However, it's a possibility now that I think about it, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Hermione said, though she sounded unconvinced, "But I don't think he can be possessing her the way he possessed Quirrell, I mean, he's properly alive again now, isn't he, he's got his own body, he wouldn't need to share someone else's. He could have her under the Imperius Curse, I suppose…"

Harry watched Fred, George and Lee Jordan juggling empty Butterbeer bottles for a moment.

Then Hermione said, "But last year your scar hurt when nobody was touching you, and didn't Dumbledore say it had to do with what You-Know-Who was feeling at the time?"

"Yes." Harry answered shortly.

"I mean, maybe this hasn't got anything to do with Umbridge at all, maybe it's just coincidence it happened while you were with her?" Hermione said as Harry leveled her with a flat look.

"Perhaps, but she's got her own brand of evil." Harry said flatly, before he leaned back in his chair with a sigh, "Unfortunately, that doesn't mean she's a Death Eater. If only the world was so easily divided…"

"Right, she's horrible, yes, but…" Hermione said, then looked as though she was about to say something she knew she shouldn't. Harry, so graciously in his opinion, cut her off before she could.

"If you tell me to go to Dumbledore, I might just hurt you." Harry said as Hermione sighed.

"Harry, I think you ought to tell Dumbledore your scar hurt."

WHACK!

"Ouch!" Hermione said, rubbing her leg, looking murderous at the amused Harry, "Harry! That hurt!"

"I warned you." Harry shrugged.

"I didn't think you were serious!" Hermione said, still rubbing her leg, "You're not supposed to hit girls! It's unclothe!"

"So is their using that excuse to defeat males." Harry said, "Gender, ethnicity, heritage. None of these are issues on the field of violence. A blade speaks the same language to all; one of _blood_."

"Well that may be, but still-"

"As I told Ron, I'm not going to run to the skirts of those around me." Harry said, holding up a hand, "Besides, you said it yourself; it's not a big deal. My scar has been hurting on and off all summer. It was just a bit worse tonight, that's all-"

"Harry," Hermione said gently, patting his knee, "I'm sure Dumbledore would want to be bothered by this-"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he get's the privilege of knowing." Harry snarled before he could stop himself, "Because that's the only real part of me that Dumbledore seems to care about, right? My scar and it's activities?"

"Don't say that, it's not true." Hermione said softly as Harry stood.

"I think I'll write and tell Sirius about it, see what he thinks-"

"You can't write that! The owl might get intercepted!" Hermione said, but Harry seemed to ignore her, so she stood as well, "Harry, you can not put something like that in a letter!" she said again, now looking deeply alarmed. "Don't you remember what Moody told us before the train; to be careful of what we put in writing! We just can't guarantee owls aren't being intercepted anymore!"

Harry gave her one of the fiercest looks he had ever thrown in the past few days, ones that he had reserved only for after his sessions with Umbridge or while rushing through his homework.

"Do not insult my intelligence nor my memory by suggesting I have forgotten a warning, or that I would be so stupid as to plainly write out my woes and worries when there are spies about." Harry said in such a deadly calm that Hermione sank back into her seat with a pale look of fright on her face, illuminated by his glowing eyes that shone like to emerald green flashlights, "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Tell Ron for me, will you?"

"Listen, don't go just yet. You can help me if you like. Making the hats for the House-elves I mean. It's quite fun, and I'm getting better. I can do patterns and bobbles and all sorts of things now."

Harry looked into her face, which was shining with glee, and didn't even bother with attempting to appear to consider her offer.

"No, thank you." he said shortly, "Good night."

And with that, he traipsed off to the boys' stairs, leaving her looking slightly disappointed and hurt without caring one bit.

* * *

**REVIEW, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: HARRY'S LETTER TO SIRIUS, NEVILLE DEFENDING ANGEAL'S FLYING HONOR, PERCY THE DOUBLE-AGENT, INFOR FROM SIRIUS AND THE D.O.A, UMBRIDGE: HIGH INQUISTOR, HARRY THE HIPOCRITE RESTRAINED BY DRACO, RON, AND NEVILLE, HARRY'S FUNK, THE "STUDY GROUP", AND MORE INFO ON WHO BEEN "AWAKENED"!**

**THIS TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER: THY NAME _WAS_ SEPHIROTH!**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME, SEE YA!**

**-T.K**


	7. Thy Name Was Sephiroth!

**Chapter 7: Thy Name **_**Was**_** Sephiroth!**

* * *

Harry's eyes snapped open as he was the first to wake up in his dormitory the next morning. He lay there in his bed for a moment, watching dust swirl in the chink of sunlight coming through the gap in his four-posters hangings. He savored the thought of how it was Saturday. The first week of term seemed to have dragged on forever.

"Like one gigantic History of Magic lesson…" Harry muttered as he sat up at the side of his bed, his feet resting on the floor as he glanced around to the others.

Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of the sunlight coming through, it must have been just after daybreak. He stood as he pulled open the curtains around his bed, starting to get dressed. The only sound apart from the distant twittering of birds was the slow, deep breathing of his fellow Gryffindors.

"You weren't thinking of going somewhere without me, were ya?" Ron asked in a near incoherent rumble as he awoke, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah man," Neville said as he joined the awakened, "We buds gotta stick together."

"Then get dressed quickly," Harry said quietly, "Because I don't have time to waste this morning." and with that, Harry opened his schoolbag carefully, pulling out parchment, ink, and quill before he headed out of the dormitory for the common room while Ron and Neville got dressed for the day.

Harry made straight for his favorite squashy old armchair beside the now extinct fire, settling himself down comfortably while glancing over his chosen apparel for the day. A simply dark blue shirt and black trousers with his dark black shoes made for acceptable wears as Harry couldn't find himself caring much for school robes on an off-day.

"Alright then," Ron's voice came from the stairs as he descended them, cracking his knuckles as he came down, "Let's start the day."

"Hold up!" Neville's own voice came as he stumbled down the stairs while trying to hop and place his left shoe on, "Wait up, Angeal!"

Ron came down dressed in what appeared to be a skin-tight black t-shirt which displayed his forming muscles, and a baggy pair of dark blue cargos that Harry hadn't even been aware the youngest male Weasley owned. In fact, now that Harry thought about the outfit as he gazed upon it, the clothes really seemed like a pale and lame attempt at the recreation of the SOLDIER uniform from Shin-Ra. Ron must have noticed his watching and guessed at what he was thinking because he looked directly at Harry before politely showing the intellectual the middle finger.

"Not one word about my clothes, you." Ron said, "Genesis will already give me hell, and I don't need you adding to it."

Neville tumbled the rest of the six steps down to the landing with Harry and Ron watching on as though it were a regular occurrence.

It wasn't, but it sure was amusing.

"I'm okay!" Neville said proudly as he got up, dusting off his own clothes, which were an old faded grey t-shirt and some baggy blue jeans while his trainers looked fresh and unused.

* * *

Harry said nothing as Ron and Neville settled around him. He unrolled his parchment before uncorking his ink bottle, dipping his quill into it.

"I need to be sure that I can establish contact with our… special informant." Harry glanced up at Ron as he held the quill suspended an inch above the smooth yellowish surface of his parchment. Their eyes met and Ron understood as he nodded to Harry's unspoken warnings, "We also need to be sure that he is still searching for the information he tasked him to find. Then there is the matter of the new information I have for him."

Ron understood as he nodded once again, knowing that they couldn't quite say Sirius's name aloud even if the man was innocent of his crimes. Neville glanced between the two of them before huffing, knowing that he was being kept out of the loop on purpose just because he hadn't been apart of their little golden posse before.

"What's this new information?" Ron asked as he glanced at Neville's anxious face.

"The toad." Harry said simply as Neville looked up, knowing what that coded phrase meant.

"Then might I suggest using only encrypted phrases our informant would understand." Ron said as Harry scoffed.

"Are you attempting to insult my intellect as well?" Harry said, a small spark of amusement in his otherwise icy tone.

"Not at all." Ron defended, "Merely our informant's own ability to miss the point."

Hmm… noted." Harry said, knowing that Sirius really could be oblivious at times when it came to subtle and sensitive things, "Hmm… now then; what would an average fifteen year-old wizard such as myself write to those away from him."

Neville seemed to jump at the chance to be helpful, bouncing up and down in his seat, "Oh! Oh! Let me help! Please, Sephiroth!"

"Fine, but keep quiet." Harry snapped as Neville grinned and thrust his fist high into the air as though he had won some great victory.

With Neville's help in the way he worded himself, and Ron's own help with the key placement of several secret phrases, Harry felt as though he had penned the perfect secret message that could have taken him at least half an hour on his own.

_**Dear Snuffles,**_

_**I hope you're doing well, or at least better than when I found you this summer. The first week back in school has been little short of terrible. I'm just glad it's the weekend, is all. We've got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; like we do every year. This one is named Dolores Jane Umbridge. She's nearly as wonderfully charming as your mother. She, however, does not hold a candle to your mother's warm welcomes of hospitality.**_

_**I'm writing this because that thing we've previous discussed has occurred once more again; last night, detention with Umbridge. Also, I was wondering if you found anything on that thing we talked about before my departure on the Hogwarts Express.**_

_**I'm sure that by now, everyone is missing our great big friend, and we hope he'll be back soon. We also miss our paranoid friend as well, though we know he's keeping himself busy.**_

_**Reply quickly.**_

_**Your Friend,**_

_**Harry**_

"That makes a good letter, right?" Neville asked as Ron nodded his head in approval.

"The only way they would know what any of this means would be if they had even the slightest clue as to who Snuffles was, or knew about the talks Harry shared with Snuffles." Ron commented, crossing his arms with a small smile.

"It'll do… for now." Harry said, if only to appear aloof as he read over the letter several times, looking at it from the point of someone not particularly close to either him or Sirius. He could not see how anyone would know what he was talking about, or even who he was talking to, just from reading the letter.

"I hope he picks up on the subtle digs to the research we tasked him with finding." Ron said as Harry stood from his chair, folding his letter.

"He'll understand." Harry said, "I think we give him too little credit sometimes."

* * *

It had only taken ten minutes to get their wording just right to fit in with Harry's new personality, but it was ten minutes well spent as Harry sealed the parchment carefully. The three former Shin-Ra soldiers then climbed through the portrait hole and headed off for the Owlery.

"So, if you've classified Umbridge as a Beta-level threat, then what will we do to her?" Ron asked, a dark look on his face as the hand he was gesturing with clenched into a fist to say the things he didn't want to speak aloud.

"I figure that if she's done this to my hand, then she most likely has a way to cover it up." Harry said, "Especially if she's done it so openly for anyone to see. Like I said before; we're still not sure just how much power she may possess in this matter."

"Done what to your hand?" Neville asked as Harry raised his right hand, which he had covered with an old ratty dark glove he had clipped the fingers from last year. He took off the glove and displayed his now almost healed scarred hand, which still displayed the message of not telling lies. "Holy Shinra, dude! That bitch is crazy!"

"That she is." Harry said quietly, "However, this matter is still a private one for the time. I will find a method of dealing with Umbridge myself. She is my prey, after all."

"Shouldn't you tell someone about this?" Neville asked, "I mean, carving words into your hand is pretty illegal; even amongst wizards!"

"See! See!" Ron said, gesturing wildly toward Neville, "Listen to the pup!"

Harry said nothing as he stepped past his friends. Umbridge was a problem like never before. If he went to someone, she most likely had a way of covering up his scar. However, if he didn't tell one of the other teachers, then he still needed to find a way to deal with Umbridge.

Sending a letter to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry was out since the Ministry were the ones most likely screening mail, and Harry was sure that the last thing they wanted getting past them and into the papers were about how he was being illegally tortured by the very representative they had sent. Besides, he didn't trust Madam Bones' competence nor that of her department.

"I would not go that way if I were you," Nearly Headless Nick said, drifting disconcertingly through a wall just ahead of them as he walked down the passage. Neville jumped back in surprise. "Peeves is planning an amusing joke on the next person to pass the bust of Paracelsus halfway down the corridor."

Ron and Harry exchanged looks before turning to Nick, brows quirked high.

"Let me guess; does it involve Paracelsus falling on top of the persons head?" Harry asked dryly.

"Funnily enough, it does." Nearly Headless Nick said in a bored tone of voice, "Subtlety has never been Peeves' strong point. I'm off to try and find the Bloody Baron… he might be able to put a stop to it… see you, Harry… Ronald… Neville."

"See ya later, Nick!" Neville said, waving animatedly as Harry and Ron watched him with exasperated looks, "What?"

Harry and his two cohorts, instead of turning right, turned left, taking a longer but safer route up to the Owlery.

"Such a beautiful day…" Harry muttered, feeling his spirits lift as they walked past window after window showing brilliantly blue sky.

"We've got training later," Ron said, slugging Harry in the arm.

"That we do." Harry admitted as they kept moving.

"Ahh!" Neville yelled, feeling something brush his ankles as he jumped a foot into the air. Harry and Ron, quickly turning on heel as they preferred for a threat, looked down and saw the caretaker's skeletal grey cat, Mrs. Norris, slinking past them from another passage. She turned lamp-like yellow eyes on Neville for a moment, hissing with indignity, before disappearing behind a statue of Wilfred the Wistful.

"Damn mangy thing…" Neville grumbled, "We're not even doing anything wrong!"

Harry did have to say that the cat had the unmistakable air of one that was off to report to her boss, yet Harry could not see why.

"Are we no longer entitled to walk the corridors while under Umbridge's watch?" Harry questioned himself, being overheard by Ron and Neville.

"No, that ain't it." Ron said, "I'm guessing that Filch is expecting someone up here."

"But who?" Neville queried as neither Ron nor Harry had an answer for him.

* * *

The sun was getting high in the sky now and when Harry entered the Owlery the glassless windows dazzled his eyes; thick silvery beams of sunlight crisscrossed the circular room in which hundreds of owls nestled on rafters, a little restless in the early-morning light, some clearly just returned from hunting. The straw-covered floor crunched a little as he stepped across tiny animal bones, craning his neck for a sight of Hedwig.

"Damn that's bright," Ron commented, shielding his eyes, "It must be close to eight or nine, maybe even ten."

"There you are…" Harry said, spotting Hedwig somewhere near the very top of the vaulted ceiling, "Get down here, I've got a letter for you."

With a low hoot she stretched her great white wings and soared down onto his shoulder.

"I thought I'd find you up here." a soft voice called out from the corner as Harry narrowed his eyes, watching as Hermione stepped out from behind a wooden pillar, "I hope you know what you're doing. This is a bad idea, and if the letter gets intercepted-"

"Then the second function of this little test will have been served." Ron said as Harry didn't bother responding to Hermione, turning away from them all as he allowed Ron to deal with her.

"So you'll use Hedwig, your loyal owl, simply to be sure that someone is going to intercept your mail?" Hermione demanded as Harry glanced back at her, turning back to them. Neville looked between them, seemingly confused as to what they were talking about.

"They would not harm Hedwig." Harry said quietly, unsurely, his head bowed as he stroked Hedwig affectionately, "However, we need to do this. If not now, then when?"

Hermione didn't seem to have an answer for that while Neville seemed to be catching on to what they were talking about. It was only a trial run, of sorts. If anything happened to Hedwig, then Harry would be sure to hunt down the person and strike them down with-

"Fine, do your test." Hermione said finally, crossing her arms, "But let the record show that I don't approve of this."

"Noted." Harry said with a nod of his head before he looked Hedwig in the eye.

"Right then, I know this says Snuffles on the outside, but its really for Padfoot, okay?" he told her softly, giving her the letter to clasp in her beak and, without knowing exactly why, whispering, "Remember, Padfoot is Sirius, alright?"

Hedwig ruffled her feathers as if he had insulted her intelligence. She blinked her amber eyes once as a sign that she understood before she flapped her wings impatiently.

"Well, aren't you prideful." Harry commented as he smiled at Hedwig, "Safe flight, then." Harry carried her to one of the windows, watching as she took off into the blindingly bright sky. He watched her until she became a tiny speck in the distance, vanishing altogether a few moments later before he lowered his gaze down at Hagrid's Hut, which was clearly visible from the window. It was so strangely uninhabited, the chimney smokeless and the curtains drawn.

The treetops of the Forbidden Forest swayed in a light breeze. Harry watched them, savoring the fresh air on his face, thinking about alll the things he had planned for the day and Quidditch later.

Then he saw it… again.

Thestrals, as the beasts were called. A great, reptilian winged horse, just like the ones pulling the Hogwarts carriages, with leathery black wings spread wide like a pterodactyl. The beast rose up out of the trees like a grotesque, giant bird. Like an undead, flight-able Chocobo…

"Hey, look! Another thestral you guys can't see!" Neville exclaimed as Hermione and Ron sighed at his antics. Harry thought it was a little childish of the boy, taking pride in proof that he had seen someone die before his very eyes. Harry wished he could be in their position; never having seen death before them in their new lifetime…

Harry turned slowly away from the window, his mood damped a bit by his recent thoughts.

"Someone's coming," Ron snapped, his eyes cutting to the entrance of the Owlery as Neville looked up in surprise. Harry, too, heard rather than saw the Owlery door open behind him. He glanced back, a bit surprised to see Cho Chang standing there; a letter and a parcel held in her hands.

"Another tense encounter, huh?" Neville said on side of Harry, gently elbowing him as Harry took a quick second to scowl at the boy.

"Hi, Harry," Cho said breathlessly, her eyes wide as though she had not known anyone would be up there when she arrived, "Hermione, Ron, Neville."

"Hello, Cho." Hermione greeted as Ron gave a nod.

"Cho." Ron said, crossing his arms as something on Cho's person caught his eye. Harry didn't know what though.

"Hey, Cho! What's up?" Neville greeted enthusiastically as Cho smiled a bit at him.

"Umm… I didn't think anyone would be up here this early… I only remembered five minutes ago, it's my mom's birthday today." She held up the parcel, as if to prove that she wasn't stalking them or something.

"Then tell your mother we wish her a happy birthday." Harry said quietly, turning away from Cho as the girl bit her lip nervously.

"R-Right, I will." Cho said, "It's a nice day, huh?"

"Yes, it truly is…" Harry said, glancing at the window Cho was gesturing to.

"Yeah, it's good Quidditch conditions." Cho said, looking around for a suitable owl, "I haven't been out all week, have you?"

"No, I've had detention with Umbridge this first week back." Harry said absently as Cho didn't seem to think anything wrong with the statement.

"I've heard she's horrid, and that she's not practicing magic in her class." Cho said, selecting one of the school barn owls. She coaxed it down on to her arm where it held out an obliging leg so that she could attach the parcel.

"Hey, has Gryffindor got a new Keeper yet?" Cho asked suddenly as Ron chuckled nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Yeah, that's me." Ron said, breaking into the conversation as Hermione and Neville hung back, "So…" Ron said, glancing down at something on the front of Cho's robes. Harry finally saw what it was. It was a badge. A Professional Quidditch team badge.

"If it's about my supporting the Tornados, then I'll have you know that I've supported them since I was six." Cho said as Ron shook his head.

"No. It's more about that." Ron said, pointing below her badge to something Cho was trying to obscure with her robes. It was a hip pouch on her skirt, and there was a symbol on it Harry had never seen before.

"Oh, that." Cho said, still obscuring the item and hiding it further, "It's nothing. Just an idea I have for a Quidditch team of my own."

"A team of your own?" Harry echoed, something about those words not sounding true.

"Yeah, one of my own." Cho said, waving a dismissive hand, "Just think; a team named Avalanche. How cool would that be?"

"Pretty cool, I guess…" Ron said, not sounding convinced.

"So, Ron, are you any good? At Quidditch, I mean." Cho said, changing the subject rather coolly.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Ron said, crossing his arms again and appearing just as casual as Cho. Harry himself took to leaning against a large post as he chuckled.

Cho looked up, the parcel only half-attached to the owl's legs.

"That Umbridge woman is foul," she said in a low voice, trying not to be overheard by Neville and Hermione, who could still hear her, "They told me, you know. Fred and George. They told me how she put you in detention just because you told the truth about how… how… how C-Cedric died. Everyone heard about it, with Fred and George passing the message along; it was all over the school. You were really brave standing up to her like that."

Harry's only response was to casually raise a brow as Cho blushed somewhat from what she had said. Ron chuckled in that annoying way of saying this was something he was going to tease Harry with. Neville had done the same, but at least Harry knew he could scare the pup. Hermione only smiled at them, her expression saying that she was happy for them.

Just as Cho was about to open her mouth, most likely to correct what she had said, the Owlery door opened again.

Filch the caretaker came wheezing into the room. There were purple patches on his sunken, veined cheeks, his jowls were aquiver and his thin grey hair disheveled; he had obviously run up to the Owlery. Mrs. Norris came trotting at his heels, gazing up at the owls overhead and mewing hungrily.

There was a restless shifting of wings from above and a large brown owl snapped his beak in a menacing fashion.

"Aha!" Filch said, taking a flat-footed step towards where Harry was leaning against a large wooden beam, his pouchy cheeks trembling with anger. "I've had a tip-off that you are intending to place a massive order for Dungbombs!"

Harry quirked a brow at him, crossing his arms while his friends appeared shocked and deeply bewildered.

"What? Why would you think that?" Ron asked; okay so Fred and George did that plenty of times, but Harry won't have. Especially with his dry sense of humor as both Harry and Sephiroth.

"I did not." Harry said, his expression impassive and teetering on boredom, "Now be gone." Filch looked bemusedly at him.

Ron folded his arms once again and stared at the caretaker, blocking the man's path to Harry, "Hold on a minute; who told you that Harry was ordering Dungbombs?"

Cho and Hermione were looking from Harry to Filch, both frowning with suspicion.

"I have my sources," Filch said in a self-satisfied hiss, holding out his palm to Harry but his eyes continued to glance at Ron, who stood in the way like a muscle-bound bodyguard, "Now hand over whatever it is you're sending."

Harry gave the man another near dispassionate look, "I can't, it's gone."

"Gone?" Filch said, his face contorting with rage at being too late to the scene.

"Yes, gone, as in: I sent it already." Harry said calmly, "Though I can assure you that I have no interest in Dungbombs or any other matter of foolishness today. Now be gone."

Filch opened his mouth furiously, mouthed for a few seconds, then raked Harry's robes with his eyes.

"How do I know you haven't got it in your pocket?" Filch said as Harry narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Because, you useless dullard, they saw me send it." Harry said, gesturing to his posse.

"Th-That's right!" Cho said suddenly, "We saw him!"

Filch rounded on her, their angry looks challenging the other to start something.

"You saw him?" Filch asked as Cho seemed to debate with herself on whether or not to continue lying. She glanced at Harry, and made her decision.

"That's right, I saw him. We _all_ did," Cho said fiercely.

There was another moment's pause in which Filch glared at Cho and Cho glared right back to show that she was not backing down nor backing out. Then the caretaker turned on his heel and shuffled back towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle and looked back at Harry.

"If I get so much as a _whiff_ of a Dungbomb…" Filch said before stumped off down the stairs. Mrs. Norris cast a last longing look at the owls and followed after him.

Cho sighed before she looked up to Harry, their eyes meeting.

"Thank you," Harry said as Cho shrugged.

"No problem," Cho said, finally fixing the parcel to the barn owl's other leg, her face slightly pink and blushing, "You weren't _really_ ordering Dungbombs, were you?"

"No." Harry answered.

"I wonder why he thought you were…" Ron said in thought, his hand to his chin as Cho carried the owl to the window, "Do you think Umbridge might have-?"

"I wouldn't put it past her." Harry said darkly as he thought on it for a moment, "For a second there, I thought it might have been Genesis' feeble attempt at a prank, but…"

"That's not Genesis' style." Ron finished as Harry nodded.

"Yeah," Neville said, "That guy likes big and flashy. Not small time stuff like that."

"So Professor Umbridge is interfering even more so than we thought," Hermione muttered as she made her way closer to the trio of males while Cho sent off her owl, "This could be bad. Umbridge is trying very hard to keep you in check, Harry."

"I can see that." Harry said, "However, her methods of doing so could use with some improvement."

"No need to give the woman any tips." Cho said, clapping her hands as she walked back over to them, "Well, I'm all done here. Breakfast anyone?"

"Food sounds _so_ good right now." Neville moaned, rubbing his nearly flat tone stomach as Cho giggled at his antics.

"Oh Za-" Cho stopped herself, going stiff as her eyes darted at Harry, who had begun to walk toward the door when he felt eyes on his back. Harry turned to her, seeing fear in her eyes for reasons he didn't understand.

"I thought we were going to breakfast." Harry said as Ron glanced between him and Cho.

"Yeah, we are." Ron said, then gave Cho's shoulder a gentle pat, "Right, Tornado fan-girl?"

"Umm, yeah. Right. Breakfast." Cho said, then relaxed as they all left the Owlery together. At the entrance of a corridor which led toward the west wing of the castle, Cho suddenly said, "Oh, dang! I'm sorry, you guys. I just remembered that I had this thing… with these people… Anyways, I'm going this way."

"Umm… okay…" Neville said, having walked down with her while Harry led the way with Ron and Hermione right behind him.

"Right. So… Well, I'll… I'll see you guys around. Right, Harry?"

Harry looked back up at her, "Hmm? Oh, right. See you around, Cho."

"Yeah, see ya." Ron said, looking unconvinced with something as Cho smiled at them and departed.

* * *

"There's something wrong with that girl." Ron said quietly as they walked on, "Maybe she's been reborn as well."

"No kidding." Neville said, looking oddly serious, "She nearly called me Zack."

"But as to who she may be we won't know until she tells us." Hermione said, looking peacefully as she walked with them.

"How can you be so calm?" Ron asked, "She might have been an enemy. Did you see the looks she was giving Harry? Almost like he killed her family, or something."

Harry froze at the mention of killing, remembering the many he had slaughtered in the Nibelheim incident, "Maybe I did…" Harry said quietly, walking off as the others stared after him until they regained their composure and caught up.

"Come on, Harry, you can't believe that." Ron said, trying to cheer the brooding Potter up, "She could be anyone from just about anytime. Before you were born, after we died. Maybe she feared your legacy?"

"Or maybe she was in your fan club." Neville supplied as Harry stopped dead, remembering the foolishness of Shin-Ra's sponsoring him a fan club called the Silver Elite.

"Now _that_, I truly hope is _not_ the case…" Harry said quietly, a small smirk on his face as the others laughed.

"Good morning all," Ron greeted brightly as they joined the others at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"What's up?" Neville greeted, taking the seat next to Ron.

"What's got you all so pleased this morning?" Seamus asked as he eyed them with suspicion.

"Harry made a joke!" Neville said as though it were a miracle while the others shared looks that suggested it was.

"Then a toast is in order." Lavender declared as Harry scowled, raising his empty palm.

"Yes," Harry said, a fireball in his hand as the others jumped back in surprise, "Who shall be first?"

"Hey! That's my thing!" a voice shouted from across the hall as everything quieted, students looking over to the Slytherin table but all of them appearing as though they hadn't heard a thing.

"Was that Malfoy who shouted?" Parvati asked as Neville shrugged.

"Probably." Ron said casually, pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs towards him, "Anyways, I'm going out a bit early to get some practice in before training. Mind coming with me, Har?"

"Say no more." Harry said loftily with a small smirk over the rim of his goblet. He put down the goblet in favor of a piece of toast before he went back for a large swig of pumpkin juice. "Though I do hope your flying is better than your handle at vehicles."

"I'll have you know that flying a helicopter is a difficult pursuit for anyone." Ron said grumpily, "They're highly advanced machines, you know."

"Quite." Harry said, "Especially when you've had years of training at simulations and passed those with flying colors."

"What are they talking about?" Seamus asked Hermione as she shook her head.

"Don't ask me," Hermione said with a small smirk as she took a mug of coffee, "I don't speak mechanistic ego."

"Nor do I." Ginny said as she hopped in the seat on the other side of Hermione, "Good morning."

"Good morning." Hermione said, "How was the detention with Professor Snape."

"The usual. Same old, same old." Ginny muttered dismissively, "He has me helping him every weekend now."

"Us too, yo." Fred said, dropping himself unceremoniously next to Lavender, who loudly proclaimed his rudeness while George politely took a seat next to Parvati, steeping his hands in front of him with his elbows on the table like a professional businessman. His only response was a single nod of agreement to Fred's statement.

"What does he have you guys doing?" Neville asked curiously as Ginny waved him off.

"You wouldn't be interested. It's really boring." Ginny said as Hermione quirked a brow.

"Try us." she said as the others seemed to focus on Ginny, Fred, and George.

"It's just moving a bunch of boxes and stuff for him. Either from the seventh floor to the dungeons, or from his office to the seventh floor. It's all really tedious."

Ron and Harry shared a look, both now convinced that Snape, Ginny, Fred, and George were all now working on something top-secret. And with them knowing that Ginny was a Turk, and Harry's suspecting Fred and George to be two well-known Turks as well, but now it all came down to one question.

Just which Turk was Snape?

"Anyways, you two going out earlier, huh?" Fred asked, propping his feet up on the table as Lavender and Parvati gave him disgusted look.

"Yes," Harry said, eyeing the three Weasley Turks.

"Well, I don't think you should." Hermione said seriously, "You're both still not finished with the homework, and today we need to-"

But she broke off; the morning post was arriving and, as usual, the Daily Prophet was soaring towards her in the beak of a screech owl, which landed perilously close to the sugar bowl and held out a leg. Hermione pushed a Knut into its leather pouch, took the newspaper, and scanned the front page critically as the owl took off.

"Anything interesting?" Neville asked as Harry and Ron grinned, knowing the pup was keen to keep their brainy friend off the subject of homework.

"No," Hermione sighed, leaning back and massaging her temples, "just some guff about the bass player in the Weird Sisters getting married."

Ginny and Hermione opened the paper, both disappearing behind it as they muttered to one another while Neville devoted himself to another helping of eggs and bacon. Ron was staring up at the high windows, looking slightly preoccupied.

"Wait a moment," said Hermione suddenly, "Oh my…"

"What's happened?" Harry asked as she gained the large group's attention.

"It's about… Padfoot." Hermione said as Harry's eyes narrowed while Ron urged her to go on, "The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer-"

"Blah blah blah!" Ginny said, "It says he's currently hiding in London!"

"Lucius Malfoy I'll bet," Fred said in a low, furious voice, "Caught him eyeing our dog Padfoot on the platform, yo."

"Wh-What?" Ron said, looking alarmed, "Why didn't you say-?"

"Cause it woulda been suspicious to just rush you two and scream, 'Look at Lucius Malfoy checking out our dog!' … Got it?" Fred said, casting Ron a look, "Don't you have a brain in all that new muscle, yo?"

"If _you_ had a brain, then you'd know that the brain _is_ a muscle." Ron shot back as Fred grinned, seeming to have expected the comeback.

"It's also obviously not one you've been flexing lately, yo." Fred said, then reached across the table where George gave him a high-five while making sizzling noises.

"Back to the matter at hand, people." Hermione said professional, "The paper doesn't say anything other than the usual rubbish."

"That Sirius Black is a dodgy fellow," Seamus said, breaking into the conversation as the others had nearly forgotten about their normal friends with them.

"Yes, but he's not all bad." Harry said with a shrug, "At least when he tried to kill me he said hello first."

"And nearly ripped my leg off…" Ron grumbled, recalling when Sirius had dragged him into the Shrieking Shack.

"So you're okay with him?" Seamus asked Harry, "Because people try to have a deadly-go at you every year, mate."

"I suppose so." Harry said with another causal shrug to mask the truth, "Though we won't be swapping phone numbers or recipes anytime soon."

"And I should hope not," Hermione whispered lowly as Seamus and Dean exchanged looks, getting into their own conversation while Lavender and Parvati traded seats with Fred and George to strike up more gossip, "He won't be able to leave the house again anytime soon."

"Well, Dumbledore did warn him not to." Ginny said as Harry narrowed his eyes at her.

"Though I don't disagree that it wasn't the best thought-out plan, you will all remember that we were a guard short, and that not many people could or would recognize him as he was." Harry whispered coldly, "Thankfully, he has something that should keep him busy for quite some time, and keep him from anything foolish."

"Yeah," Ron said, "Plus, if he was made to just sit in that house all by his lonesome with his hate for it, he'd be driven mad, feeling worse about himself and more useless than ever."

"Well, it's a good thing you two gave him something to do, huh." Ginny said with a scoff as Harry scowled at her. Ginny, even though she saw the scowl, acted as though she hadn't as she went back behind the paper and said in a smug tone, "Oh look, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions is having a sale; three sets of robes for the price of one."

"Now that's business, yo!" Fred said, "That'll be the perfect test for our transport-"

"Shh!" Ginny said, casting Fred a hard look as she came from behind the newspaper.

"They're up to something." Ron muttered across the table to Harry, who nodded in agreement.

Just what were the Turks up to?

Seamus and Dean left to practice Vanishing Spells while Lavender and Parvati went off with Susan Bones and Tracey Davis to gossip about boys. All was peacefully while they ate their breakfast and conversed.

"Hey! Look at this!" Hermione said, flattening the newspaper down so the others could see it.

"I've got all the potion ingredients I need or want," Ron deadpanned, his face set in a grimace, "There's only so much "eye of newt" a man can stomach looking at."

"No," Harry said, pointing out what he believed was the cause of Hermione's suddenness, "Look at this little piece here…"

Ron, Neville, and Fred leaned over the table while Ginny, Hermione, and George bent closer to read the article. The item was barely an inch long and placed right at the bottom of a column. It was headlined:

_**TRESPASSOR AT MINISTRY**_

_**Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on August 31st. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watch-wizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defense, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.**_

"Sturgis Podmore?" Fred said slowly, "Wasn't he the one who looked like his head'd been thatched, yo?"

"Six months in Azkaban…" Harry whispered with a brow cocked, "Just for trying to get through a door… Makes me wonder what was behind this top-security door they so casually mentioned."

"Perhaps it's where whatever the weapon Snuffles mention is," Ron said as Hermione gave him a curious look, "Snuffles… Padfoot…"

"Oh," Hermione breathed with a nod, catching on, "Well, that would make sense,"

"Yeah, and it seems the Ministry has this weapon, not the Order or the Death Eaters." Goerge said quietly as he cast a dark glance at Neville, who was frowning innocently at the paper while they were talking. Ron caught the look.

"He's fine. He's with us," Ron said, "or rather, more with me than anyone."

"You got that right, Angeal!" Neville said, glomping Ron as Ron tried furiously to get him off, "I lost you once! I'm never letting go again, buddy!"

"Get off, you brat!" Ron said as Neville grinned.

"Never!" Neville exclaimed as the others shook their heads.

"Well, aside from their antics, what in the name of the Planet would he have been doing at the Ministry of Magic at one o'clock in the morning?" Harry asked as he stepped his hands in front of him.

"Do you think he could have been doing something for the Order?" Ginny asked as Hermione shook her head.

"No, that couldn't be it." Hermione said, "He wouldn't have to really sneak about since he worked for the Ministry; like just about every other witch and wizard around these parts."

"Plus he was the one missing in our guard to the train station." Harry said, "Remember? He was supposed to come and see us off, but didn't show up; hence the reason Sirius came with us and got spotted by Lucius Malfoy."

The others looked at him, none of them having thought things on such a thorough level in so little time.

"Yeah, so he couldn't be on a job for them then." Ron said, leaning back with his arms crossed, "But what?"

"It could be a frame-up," Ginny suggested, "The Ministry might have suspected him and lured him there. Maybe they've just made something up to get him, or at least, someone connected to Dumbledore."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't put it past our dear old Minister, but I don't think he has the brains to pull that one off." Harry said as Hermione, on the other hand, looked interested in the theory.

"He might have been under Death Eater control." George suggested quietly as all eyes narrowed.

"That is a very likely possibility…" Hermione admitted, folding up the newspaper thoughtfully. As Harry laid down his knife and fork, she seemed to come out of a reverie.

"Right then, I think we should tackle that essay for Sprout on self-fertilizing shrubs first and if we're lucky we'll be able to start McGonagall's Inanimatus Conjurus Spell before lunch…"

"I've already done the essay." Neville said as Harry and Ron nodded, showing that they too had done it.

"I'm having problems with the spell for McGonagall, though." Neville admitted with an embarrassed chuckle, "Materia was never one of my strong subjects…"

"Besides!" Neville said, standing up suddenly, "We can always do the rest of the homework together tonight. I wanna see Angeal on a broom. It's a sight I just can't miss!"

"Well, I suppose that we should show our support…" Hermione said airily, as though Ron weren't sitting directly across from her.

"Glad to see I'm so beloved…" Ron muttered with a small smirk playing on his lips.

* * *

Harry felt a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he looked out the windows they passed on their way to the Quidditch Pitch. The sky was a clear, exhilarating blue, and he had not been on his Firebolt for a week… He wondered briefly if he could still fly around without the use of a broom.

"-and then we'll end with our dream journals, comparing things we can make up for it." Ron was saying to Neville as they walked down the sloping lawns towards the Quidditch pitch, him and Ron with their broomsticks over their shoulders.

"And plus we've got tomorrow." Neville said, nodding along, "Hermione gets too worked up about work, ya know?" There was a pause as Neville he added, in a slightly more anxious tone, "Do ya think she meant it when she said we weren't copying from her?"

"She's never let us copy." Harry said, "She just checked our work after we'd finished."

"Besides, we shouldn't need to copy from her anyway." Ron added, giving Neville a stern look, "A man with honor gets his grades by doing his own work and helping others."

"Yeah, I hear ya, Angeal… I hear ya…" Neville said, catching up to them after they had breezed past him.

As they approached the Quidditch pitch, Harry allowed his gaze to sweep over the area. To his right was the Forbidden Forest where the trees of which were swaying darkly. The sky was empty except for a few distant owls fluttering around the Owlery tower. Perhaps he would get to test if he could fly without the aid of a broom.

They collected balls from the cupboard in the changing room and set to work, Ron guarding the three tall goalposts, Harry allowing Neville to play Chaser and try to get the Quaffle past Ron. Harry thought Ron was pretty good as he looked up from trying to remember how he had first learned to glide; Ron had blocked three-quarters of the goals Neville attempted to put past him and played better the longer the two practiced. Harry also thought that Neville was a really creative flyer, moving in ways that most would not have, like turning himself upside in midair to try and get the Quaffle under Ron's backside.

After a couple of hours they all returned to the castle for lunch just as Harry had finally recalled the Materia he had needed for flight. During their lunch, which Hermione told them how she had managed to finish all her own homework and left references for them on the harder bits they would need to research on. Then after lunch, Hermione and Ginny came with them as they made their return to the Quidditch pitch for the real training session. All their teammates but Angelina were already in the changing room when they entered.

"Alright there, yo?" Fred asked with a wink as Ron chuckled nervously.

"Umm… yeah." was all Ron said in reply.

"Ready to show us all up, Ickle Prefect?" Fred said, emerging tousle-haired from the neck of his Quidditch robes, a slightly malicious grin on his face.

"Shut up," Ron said, a smirk on his face as he pulled on his own team robes for the first time. They fitted him well considering they had once belonged to Oliver Wood, who much like Ron was now, was rather broader in the shoulders.

"Okay, everyone," Angelina barked, entering from the Captain's office, already changed. "Let's get to it; Alicia and Fred, you bring out the ball crate for us. Oh, and there are a couple of people out there watching, but I want you to just ignore them, all right? Get in the zone, yeah?"

Something in her would-be casual voice made Harry think he might know who the uninvited spectators were, and sure enough, when they left the changing room for the bright sunlight of the pitch it was to a storm of catcalls and jeers from the Slytherin Quidditch team and assorted toadies, who were grouped halfway up the empty stands and whose voices echoed loudly around the stadium. Hermione and Ginny had gotten themselves front row seats to the practice while Neville wasn't even sitting, cheering Ron on with absolutely no shame at all.

"My friend, do you fly now?" Draco called out, "Because we all know how good you were at the helicopter."

"Shut it!" Neville yelled from above in the stands, "Go Ron! Whip the floor with the jerk!"

"Neville, this is a practice for the Gryffindor team." Ginny called out, trying to pull the stocky boy back into the seats, "This isn't a match."

"Who cares." Neville said before cupping his hands around his mouth, "Go Angeal!"

Ron face-palmed himself as Draco and Harry returned their gaze to him.

"Such a lovely student you have there." Draco drawled, "Tell me, does he roll over and play dead, too?"

"I wish he did do the last one…" Ron muttered, his cheeks flush with embarrassment caused by his overly-enthusiastic former apprentice.

"And just what is that atrocity you think you'll be riding?" Draco asked, now staring down at Ron's broom, "Why would anyone put a flying charm on that moldy old log?"

"Well we all can't be rich twice over." Ron said, rolling his eyes as Draco scoffed.

"Obviously, because a person of my class would never be caught dead on such a disgrace. And neither should you." Draco said, brushing imaginary dirt from his press-clean robes.

Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson guffawed and shrieked with laughter. Ron mounted his broom and kicked off from the ground while Harry followed him, watching as Ron's ears turn red from behind.

"I knew Genesis was a jerk, but sometimes he's just so damn-"

"Ignore him and his little posse." Harry said, accelerating to catch up with Ron, "Your broom doesn't matter. You have skill on your side."

"Yeah, you're right." Ron said, a grin on his face as he turned to Harry, "Then we'll see who's laughing after we play them…"

"Exactly the attitude I want, Potter, Weasley!" Angelina said in approval, soaring around them with the Quaffle under her arm and slowing to hover on the spot in front of her airborne team, "Okay, everyone, we're going to start with some passes just to warm up, the whole team-"

"Hey, Johnson, what's with that hairstyle, anyway?" Pansy Parkinson shrieked from below, "Why would anyone want to look like they've got worms coming out of their head?"

"Why you little-!"

"Angelina!" Katie called out as Angelina stopped glaring down at the smug Parkinson before taking a deep breath.

"Right then," Angelina said, sweeping back her long braided hair out of her face before continuing calmly, "Spread out, then, and let's see what we can do…"

"I don't understand why they are allowed to be here in the first place." Ron griped as Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Seems that Umbridge is giving them a bit more room to be extra annoying." Harry said as Ron frowned.

"Foul old toad…" Ron muttered under his breath, most likely thinking Harry wouldn't hear but Harry did before he turned, reversing away from the others to the far side of the pitch with a smirk. Ron fell back towards the opposite goal. Angelina raised the Quaffle with one hand and threw it hard to Fred, who passed to George, who passed to Harry, who passed to Ron, who passed it to Katie, and so on.

* * *

"This is getting ridiculous. Genesis is being ridiculous!" Ron hissed as his face was clashing horribly with his ginger hair. Ron had been playing well, even with the Slytherins, led by Draco, roaring and screaming with laughter.

"It's not so much the other ones, but Genesis is really digging deep with some of his taunts." Ron said, shooting Harry a look. In that time, he caught the Quaffle, but dropped it as he was about to pass it back to Angelina.

Ron pelted towards the ground to catch the Quaffle before it landed, pulling out of the dive and returning to playing height with a blush across his freckled face. Harry saw Fred and George exchange looks, but uncharacteristically neither of them said anything, for which Ron was grateful.

"Pass it on, Ron," Angelina called, as though nothing had happened.

Ron threw the Quaffle to Angelina, who passed it back to Harry, who passed to George…

"My friend, do you fly away now?" Draco taunted, "To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a somber morrow."

"Now he's just trying to annoy me." Harry muttered, his eyebrow twitching as Neville called out cheers for Ron, finally breaking free of whatever Hermione and Ginny used to keep him quiet.

George passed to Angelina; she reverse-passed to Harry, who had not been expecting it, but caught it in the very tips of his fingers and passed it quickly to Ron, who lunged for it and barely managed to catch the ball with a barrel-roll of his broom.

"Stop passing me the ball, Harry." Ron muttered, almost smiling as Draco scoffed below them.

"Come on, Ron! Get in the zone!" Angelina said crossly, as Ron readied himself right on his broom.

It would have been hard to say whether Ron's face or the Quaffle was a deeper scarlet when Draco and the rest of the Slytherin team were howling with laughter.

On his third attempt, Ron caught the Quaffle perfectly.

"Great job!" Draco yelled, "Now all you need to do is not fall out of the sky like you did the first time with your white wing!"

"Shut up, dude!" Neville yelled down before giving Ron a thumbs-up, "You got this, Ron!"

Ron, who had been about to toss the ball, went red as his arm jerked, firing the Quaffle so hard that it hit Katie Bell right smack-dab in the middle of her face… hard.

"Oh, Goddess Minerva… Sorry!" Ron groaned, zooming forward to see whether he had done any damage.

"Get back in position, she's fine! It's nothing a little hard work and sweat won't fix!" Angelina barked, "But as you're passing the Quaffle to a teammate, do try not to knock her off her broom! That's what we've got Bludgers for!"

Katie's nose was bleeding as down below, the Slytherins were stamping their feet and jeering.

"Yeah, that's the way to go, Angeal! Right! Show them the strong arm!" Neville cheered, grabbing his own arm and rotating it a few times before Ginny and Hermione grabbed him again while Fred and George converged on Katie.

"Here, take this, yo." Fred told her, handing her something small and purple from out of his pocket, "It'll clear it up in no time flat."

* * *

"All right," Angelina called, "Fred, George! You two go and get your bats and a Bludger. Ron! You go get up to the goalposts. Potter! You release the Snitch when I say so. We're going to aim for Ron's goal, obviously."

Harry bit back a snide remark as he zoomed off after the twins to fetch the Snitch.

"Ron's making doing alright, isn't he?" Fred muttered as the three of them landed at the crate containing the balls.

"Though we could have gone without that last debacle." George muttered he opened the crate to extract one of the Bludgers while Harry swiped the Snitch.

"I would think we would all be the same if two of our friends embarrassed us as such." Harry said in Ron's defense.

"Maybe, but they're only getting away with it because he's all for honor, manners, and politeness, yo." Fred said, scoffing as he cast a look directly at Harry, "Now, see, if it were _you_ they were doing this to; you'd probably have _killed_ one of them by now."

Harry could not deny the point Fred made as they returned to the air.

When Angelina blew her whistle, Harry released the Snitch and Fred and George let fly the Bludger. From that moment on, Harry was barely aware of what the others were doing. It was his job to recapture the tiny fluttering golden ball that was worth a hundred and fifty points to the Seeker's team and doing so required enormous speed and skill. He accelerated, rolling and swerving in and out of the Chasers, the warm autumn air whipping his face, and the distant yells of the Slytherins so much meaningless roaring in his ears… but too soon, the whistle brought him to a halt again.

"Stop - stop - STOP!" screamed Angelina, "Ron - you're not covering your left post!"

Harry looked round at Ron, who was hovering in front of the middle hoop and leaned to the right-side post, leaving the other one completely unprotected.

"Oh right… Sorry…" Ron said lamely as Harry narrowed his eyes, recalling that Angeal had been right-handed and had rarely ever protected his left side from attack because he had been built like a truck. For sports such as these, that mindset was a weakness that would allow the other team to score often.

"You keep shifting around between middle and right while you're watching the Chasers!" Angelina said, "Either stay in center position until you have to move to defend _either_ of the side hoops, or else circle _all three_, but _don't_ just drift vaguely off to your right-hand side, that's how you let in the last three goals into the left hoop!"

"Right… Noted… Sorry…" Ron repeated, his red face shining like a beacon against the bright blue sky.

"And Katie, do something about that damn nosebleed!" Angelina yelled.

"It's just getting worse!" Katie said thickly, attempting to stem the flow of blood with her sleeve.

Harry glanced round at Fred, who was looking anxious and checking his pockets. He saw Fred pull out something purple, examine it for a second and then look round at Katie, evidently horror-struck.

"Oh crap, yo!" Fred yelled as George quietly shook his head, his arms crossed while he hovered on his broom.

"Well, let's try again, people!" Angelina said, ignoring the Slytherins, who had now set up a chant of how the Gryffindor team were losers, but there was a certain rigidity about her seat on the broom nevertheless.

This time they had been flying for barely three minutes when Angelina's whistle sounded. Harry, who had just sighted the Snitch circling the opposite goalpost, pulled up feeling distinctly aggrieved.

"What is it now?" Harry snapped impatiently to Alicia, who was nearest.

"Katie," Alicia said shortly, pointing.

Harry followed her index finger, turning himself around to see where Angelina, Fred and George were all flying around Katie, who was now chalk white and covered in blood. Harry and Alicia sped towards her, hearing the tale end of a quick chat between Angelina and Fred. It was plain that Angelina had stopped training just in time; Katie looked ready to drop any second.

"She needs to get to the hospital wing, stat." Angelina said as they all lowered while Ron was already at the ground and Draco was keeping his posse back. Neville kept Hermione and Ginny in the stands.

"We'll take her." Fred said without his now usual verbal tick, "She… err… might have swallowed a Blood Blisterpod by mistake…"

"You-!" Ron said, looking as if he was debating on which of his twin brothers to deck first.

"Well, there's no point continuing with no Beaters and a Chaser gone," Angelina said glumly as Fred and George zoomed off towards the castle supporting Katie between them, "Well, we're through. Go get changed and what not."

Angelina sped off toward the changing rooms on her broom while Ron, no longer looking angry, looked just plain miserable.

"This was a mistake…" Ron muttered, staring at his broom before tossing it roughly to the side, "I should have known I couldn't pull this off. And worst yet, I nearly killed one of my teammates at the first practice."

"Actually," Harry said, "It was Fred and George that nearly killed her. You only gave her the nose bleed, they are the ones that nearly made her faint of blood loss."

"But if I hadn't given her the nose bleed, then it wouldn't have happened at all." Ron grumbled, "I'm a monster…"

Harry was about to refute the claim when Draco came over to do what he did best in these situations; kick 'em when they were down.

"I have to say, you flew better than I thought you would." Draco said suavely with his group of Slytherins behind him, "Though I suppose anything is better than the disasters you caused when you were behind the wheel of helicopter. Remember Costa De Sol?"

"Genesis, shut up." Ron muttered half-heartedly as he turned away.

"Now wait just one minute!" Neville's voice sounded from high up in the stands. Harry looked up, shielding his eyes slightly from the sun before they widened like saucers. Neville was standing squarely on the railing edge of the stands with both his feet firmly planted on the small metal bar that normally kept people from falling. Then Neville did what Harry would forever label an idiotic act of foolish stupidity never to be equaled.

"I'll be down in a sec!" and with that, Neville jumped.

Everyone around them gasped as they saw the teen free-fall from the stands with Draco making a strangled noise that sounded like a forced-down girlish cry of surprise. Ron turned around at the gasps, and he cried out in terror as he saw Neville already fallen halfway.

As Neville neared the ground, Harry was mounting his broom, hoping that he calculated the angle and speed correctly to keep the boy from breaking his neck when he caught him by his robes. Though as he raced toward Neville, the boy did something that made Harry recall why people had forever looked up to SOLDIER agents as things akin to demigods.

Neville, ten feet from the ground, flipped himself twice through the air and landed in a squatting crouch on the ground while Harry stopped his broom just short of the boy moments before. Everything was quiet as Neville stood from his crouch, his glowing eyes trained on Ron before they narrowed at Draco. And with his feet firmly planted on the ground now, Neville stepped out of the small crater he had created and marched his way up to Draco as though he had not just survived a fifty to sixty-foot drop on sheer memory recall and whatever mako-energy enhancements were flowing through them. However, Harry noticed, as Neville moved past him, that the boy's legs were trembling and Neville's left leg had a slight limp to it.

"Angeal doesn't have to take crap from you or anyone else, you bastard!" Neville said as Draco finally picked his jaw up from the ground and gave the finger Neville had pointed in his face a cool look, "He's twice the man you are, and is the greatest person I ever knew! So you say one more word against him, and I'll make what I did the last time we met up look like a playground fight."

Draco said nothing for a few moments, his posse looking to him for his reaction while Ron was still staring to where Neville had landed as though trying to wrap his head around the fact that Neville was both still alive and now shouting in Draco's face like nothing happened. Then, Draco tossed his head back arrogantly, staring down his nose at the slightly shorter Neville.

"If Angeal is the greatest person you know, then we must not have been introduced." Draco said drawled narcissistically, "And I've known Angeal for _much_ longer than you have, boy. I would tell you to tread lightly in the affairs of your betters, but it seems that for the moment we are equals." then Draco pinned Neville with a haughty look that was the cross between a vicious sneer and a fiercely cocky smirk, "However, don't get too full of yourself, brat. Your feeble skills compared to my knowledge is like an ant facing down a mountain. At least Angeal knows when something is beyond his capabilities, but I can see that is one lesson he did not have either the time to pass on to you, or he simply forgot. Now remove your digit from my face, or I'll remove it for you… _permanently_…"

"Argh! I'm warning you!" Neville shouted in frustration, catching the insults to Angeal while the jeers to his own person went unanswered.

Draco settled on a smirk, seeing as Neville most likely couldn't take him on in a hundred years. Though even Harry was debating with himself on who exactly would win should their little tiff come to blows While Draco was a scrawny git this time around, he probably already had a list of moves he could use against Neville from their days as highly-advanced super soldiers. Then again, Neville had just proved that he could put at least a fraction of the Shin-Ra training into action and had the muscles to back it up.

"Angeal, you may wish to get your puppy a leash." Draco said over his shoulder as Ron blinked, only now coming back from wherever he had been in his mind, "There are now laws for these kinds of things. Or has your sense of respect for the law gone the way of your precious Buster Sword; lost."

"That does it!" Neville shouted, pulling back the sleeves of his robes, "You've gone too far now! The Buster Sword is never lost so long as we have our honor!"

"Then I suppose you've lost that for yourself as well, boy." Draco sneered as Neville lunged at him, but the blond stepped out of the way. As soon as Neville was past him, Draco grabbed the bulkier boy's arm behind his back and forced him into a painful position in one swift and fluent motion.

If one had blinked, then they missed the entire exchange as Hermione and Ginny came rushing over. The way that both Draco and Neville blinked with looks of surprise on their faces, neither had suspected the maneuver to work. Though Harry always knew Genesis to be slim, fast, and agile for a warrior. Never bulky with strength from honed muscles, but always slim for speed, flexible for agility, and quick-witted for any situation.

Neville got over his shock quickly as he swept Draco's legs from under him, but Draco countered by pushing his legs off of Neville and flipping into a handspring while Neville went tumbling forward yet managing to keep on his feet.

"That's enough!" Ron barked out as Harry too stepped forward. He himself had never had a set of moves to use in any given situation, but that didn't stop him from thinking of a few he could to incapacitate both fighters should they attempt to continue. He had seen all that he needed to, and if Ron was going to stand between them, then Harry was going to be there to back him up.

Draco, seeming to remember himself and the situation, stood up straight and dusted his robes before tossing his head back arrogantly. He walked right past Neville, whose fists clenched at his sides but didn't dare to disobey Ron's direct order to not further the cause of a scene. Draco stopped short at Harry and Ron, standing with their shoulder lined up as Harry and Ron stood facing the others while Draco was facing the castle.

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return." Draco quoted as Harry was about to snap at him, but he quickly pressed on, "Umbridge sent us out to spy on you. You still haven't read my note about your half-giant friend. I've slipped it into the puppy's robe pocket when I held his arm back. We must talk more openly in a secure area. Later today, if we can."

"Roger that." Ron muttered as he crossed his arms while Harry merely scowled with a single nod of his head.

"Good then, I'm off. I'll report everything but the last five minutes, and none of my group will dare add anything more." Draco said as he walked off toward the castle with his crowd of Slytherins following after him like moths to a flame.

"Come on, let's go and get changed." Harry suggested as Ron sighed before following.

* * *

"Poor Katie, everything seems to happen to her." Hermione whispered as they stalked their way up to the castle.

"Angeal, I'm sorry, man-" Neville started, but Ron held up a hand.

"Save it." Ron said, "If my honor needs defending, then it'll be by my own two hands. As I've said before, a man without his _own_ dreams and honor to protect isn't worth being called a man at all. It's why I've told you time and again to protect _your_ dreams and _your_ honor; because I can protect my own."

"I was just… I'm sorry, Angeal…" Neville muttered, his gaze dropped down to his feet.

Ron sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, "It's okay, pup. Just learn some control once in a while."

* * *

"So, is that how your practices normally go?" Hermione asked rather coolly half an hour later, as Harry and Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room.

"Not really." Harry said, "Far less blood and snappish remarks. Though the fighting is debatable."

"Glad to know." Hermione deadpanned as Harry shrugged, not caring if Quidditch was particularly violent when people wanted to win.

"Well," Ginny said, making her presence known to all as Neville came in after her, "You guys better hit the books. Especially you two barbell-brained idiots." she said, jerking her thumb at Neville and Ron, who gave nearly identical cries of indignity.

"You know," Harry said after an hour of making decent headway through their homework. He had finished everything he needed, aside from Trelawney's joke of a journal while Ron and Neville were helping each other through theirs, "I've only just realized how annoyingly catchy Genesis can be when he speaks."

"Why do you say that?" Ron asked, nibbling at the feathered end of his quill, "Is it because he's always quoting _Loveless_?"

"Not just that." Harry said, "Because now I cannot get that "Gryffindor are Losers" chant out of my head. It's rather irritating and yet so catchy."

"Yes, because truly the Slytherins are masters of psychological warfare." Ron quipped in unusual dry humor.

"I think they are." Neville said, blinking in surprise of his own words. "I mean, just think about it. They never throw the first punch, 'cause most are too scrawny to start a fight. That's why they get inside our heads, yeah. They make us mad, and when we knock their teeth in, then we're the bad guys to our teachers! Holy Shin-Ra! It all makes sense now!"

Ron and Harry only stared at Neville, both occasionally exchanging glances at each other's gob-stopped expressions.

"I've always figured they were weasels snd snakes, but do you think they actually do that?" Ron asked, "Making us fight them to get us in trouble for throwing the first punch? It seems so… deceitful."

"Then it's Slytherin." Harry said dryly, "I'm sure it's all planned for them; more than half the time in advance."

"Well, that's just dishonorable." Ron said, crossing his arms, "We had no control over Shin-Ra when they used us to discredit and deceive the Wutai, but for mere school children to be using such tactics here… It's just disgraceful."

"Perhaps," Harry said, not really caring anymore as he started on his dream journal. He wrote about dreaming of a giant chicken, basically describing a Chocobo while Neville started on his own.

"Can we stop talking about them?" Neville asked, raking at his hair, "Ugh, it gives me the willies! It's like we're praising them or something."

With that thought in mind, it was silent the rest of the Saturday evening as night rolled around.

* * *

"You're late." a voice snapped in the darkness as two sets of footsteps stopped in unison.

"Well forgive us if it takes a little longer than we thought to get down here from the tower." Ron shot back as Draco stepped out from the shadows of a serpent statue.

"There is no hate, only joy; for we are beloved by the Goddess." Draco said poetically as Harry scowled at him.

"What do you know?" Harry asked as Draco's arrogant gaze sharpened like a fine blade.

"He's up at caves high, searching out his other half. He'll be-"

"Not about that! We read the message you slipped the Puppy." Harry hissed, "What about the Toad?"

"She's watching you like a mother Chocobo, but with none of the affection." Draco said, shaking his head as he leaned back, his body half obscured by the shadows with only his top-half showing, "She knew about your being up at the Owlery and I caught her speaking with the paintings. Some of them are loyal to the Ministry, but all report first to the Headmaster."

"So Dumbledore allowed her to know?" Ron asked in shock while Harry's fist clenched at his side.

"Continue." Harry breathed tersely as Draco nodded sharply.

"She also realized that she has no legitimate reason to spy on you for Quidditch."

"So she sent you; a known rival and his team to ensue enough of an incident that Harry would blow his temper and end up right back with her." Ron surmised as Draco shrugged.

"She's good, but only so for a beginner." Draco commented, "She needs a lot of work to be at Slytherin level of cunning."

"I'm sure she does. However, please refrain from handing out pointers any time soon." Harry quipped dryly, turning on heel to go back the way he came.

"Now there's just one thing we must discuss whilst we're all gathered like this." Draco said, his eyes staring at Harry's back with a strange intensity, "Training."

"Must we discuss something so useless?" Harry asked as Ron and Draco both frowned at him, "Must we be so cliché that we can't come up with new ways of dealing with our situations. Ways that don't involve breaking jaws, slicing bodies, or tossing out fireballs?"

"I wasn't aware such primitive methods existed." Draco quipped bitingly as Harry rounded on him sharply.

"I'm serious. Why is it that you simply _have to_ become SOLDIER again?" Harry snapped as Draco nor Ron batted an eyelash at him, "The SOLDIER program was a hellish torment we were forced to endure. It was filled with nightmarish experimentations, horrific bastards that cared nothing about us outside their own agendas, and a being that tried to use me as an avatar of destruction thrice over. I'll be damned if I go back to those days!"

"But the program also made us who we are; even today." Ron said, sighing as he rubbed his chin, "I know how you feel, I hated what we did almost everyday. But the thing that got me through most of it before the degradation was the fact that if I hadn't been an experiment, I never would have met the two of you; my best friends."

"SOLIDER gave each of us something." Draco said, "However, for you, Sephiroth, SOLIDER is basically synonymous with horror."

"More like Jenova." Ron quipped in an uncharacteristically biting manner that made even Harry flinch back as Ron stared hard at him.

"Right…" Draco said, not quite sure what to say anymore.

"The thing is, Sephiroth, you once told me that you never had a dream in mind." Ron said as Harry rolled his eyes, foreseeing the speech a mile away, "But that was because you thought dreams were the equal of money, power, and status. I dreamed of helping my comrades to become heroes. Genesis here dreamed of becoming the hero. But you, Sephiroth, you dreamed of something different. You dreamed of having someone to understand you. You dreamed of friends and family. Even still, that is your dream. I remember from First Year; how you looked into the mirror and told me that you saw your family."

Harry said nothing, silently surprised that Angeal's dream speech was getting to him emotionally for the first time.

"Your dream this time around hasn't changed, Seph. You still dream of friends and family; of people that would understand you and like you for you. And you have that. You _had_ that; me and Genesis."

"And all Genesis ever cared about was taking my supposed mantle as the hero in his little fantasy." Harry snapped as he rounded back on Draco, who shrugged rather nonchalantly.

"In my own defense, I had been rather obvious about it for years before that day in the hologram room. I also despised myself for years after you two were gone because of the terrible events I unintentionally helped create in my own selfishness." Draco said as though he been casually conversing about weather. But after many years with both Draco and Genesis, they could tell when it was all hot air, and when it was a real confession. That subtle quiet under text told them just how sincere Draco was being.

And it was a lot…

"The point is, our reason for returning to SOLDIER is because while the program comes with a lot of emtional and horrific baggage, it doesn't have to. SOLDIER is no more in this world. Hell, it might have never existed here! We may take what was good about the program and turn the bad into more good." Ron said gently yet firmly as he clenched his fist in front of him, "And we can fight to make our dreams a reality. We'll stop You-Know-Who, and show him our honor- _our_ pride- as SOLDIER."

Harry smiled a little before turning away from his two friends. While it all sounded nice at the moment, he was not one to easily forget the past because of one emotionally-charged speech. No, by tomorrow he would still look at SOLDIER as the accursed program that made him believe his mother was a Calamity named Jenova and that Hojo was his father.

Because _neither_ were true! They just weren't, dammit! They couldn't be!

"I'll think about it…" Harry said quietly, "But I make no promises."

"And we'll hold you to none." Draco said, flashing a brilliant smile before he too turned away to face the opposite direction, "For even if the marrow is barren of promises…"

"Nothing shall forestall my return…" Harry finished quietly as he and Ron walked out of the dungeons and up to Gryffindor tower. Harry suddenly scowled, knowing that Genesis had a double meaning to his little quote.

But what?

* * *

"Twenty more, Pup." Ron barked out as he lounged on his comfy armchair near the fire that Sunday in the common room.

"Ugh!" Neville groaned, doing push-ups he wanted the energy to complete while his body protested, "Angeal! This is too much!"

"You're right." Angeal said, tapping his chin before he took a sip of his tea, glancing at Harry who was having an animated argument with Ginny while Hermione sat off to the side writing things on a clipboard and muttering to herself, "Make it fifty more. Gotta kick you back into shape quickly, and taking it lightly on you ain't gonna help."

"Angeal! You slave-driver!" Neville whined, but still set himself to the task given as his face flushed and sweat dripped down from the hair which clung to his forehead.

The gang decided that they would spend most of their Sunday in the common room, enjoying each other's company as the others came and went in a steady stream of marching feet and swishing cloaks. The common room had filled, then emptied, and filled again before most left to enjoy the fact that it was another fine, clear day; spending their time out on the grounds as they enjoyed what might well be some of the last sunshine that year. By the evening, Harry and the others found themselves lounging around a tree trunk as they watched the sun begin to set.

"And did you remember to finish Professor Sinistra's essay about Jupiter's many moons?"

"Yeah," Ron said, smirking as he saw Neville rubbing his sore arms and legs with whatever it was that Ginny was giving him, "Though I must admit it was very informative to research. I never knew too much about Jupiter's moons, or anything off planet. But now…"

"Now what?" Hermione asked, sitting with Crookshanks on her lap as a pair of knitting needles flashed in midair in front of her, now knitting a pair of shapeless elf socks.

"Now it's so fascinating, ya know?" Ron said, gesturing to where the first twinkles of light in the sky were breaking free, "The stars, I mean. The universe around us."

"You're interested in space?" Harry asked, a brow quirking upward into a perfect arch.

"No more than another man with a healthy curiosity for the world around him." Ron shot back with a smirk as Harry shook his head.

"If you say so." Harry said, shrugging as they continued lounging in the twilight of day.

"I've been meaning to ask," Ginny said, tapping her chin before her expression deadpanned, "What the _hell_ are you boys wearing?"

"Causal attire?" Harry guessed, looking down at his grey t-shirt and black trousers.

"Umm… normal clothes?" Neville echoed as he glanced at Ron's dull dark blue shirt and baggy dark pants before looking down at his own.

"No, wrong answer. Both of you." Ginny said, "The correct answer is: You're standing out."

"No more so than yourself." Harry quipped, glancing over her dark red blouse and black skirt.

"Yes, but I'm a girl, and wizarding robes just aren't flattering." Ginny defended as Harry arched his brow again.

"Again; if you say so…" Harry muttered as he leaned back against the tree they were under.

"AH!" Neville yelled, jerking upward from his spot on the grass.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"I just remembered!" Neville said, gripping at the roots of his hair, "Jupiter's biggest moon is Ganymede! Not Callisto! Ahh! Stupid, stupid!" Neville chastised himself, banging his fist against the side of his head.

"Yeah, we should get back up to the castle so you can change that." Ron said, though didn't move an inch from his spot.

"Are you gonna get up?" Ginny asked, dusting off her skirt and legs as she rose gracefully.

"Hmm… nope." Ron said, settling further into his spot as Harry too hadn't moved.

"And why not?" Neville whined, "Come on, man! I need help! You're the space nut."

"Three things, Pup." Ron said, holding up three fingers. "One; I am not a space nut. Two; you don't need my help with every little thing around here."

"And the third thing?" Hermione as they waited for Ron to continue.

"Look to the sky." Ron said, pointing the last finger to where he wanted them to look. Squinting their eyes to the waning sunlight, they saw a dark spot moving toward them at a fast rate of speed. In a matter of moments, the dark spot grew big enough to be distinguished as an owl.

"That's a screech owl." Hermione said as Ron nodded and Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"That's Percy's screech owl." Ginny observed as the owl got even closer to show it's handsome form.

"He named it Hermes, didn't he?" Hermione asked, looking amazed by the creature while Ron nodded peacefully, still in his comfortable spot lounging under the shade of the tree with Harry near him.

Before anymore words could be exchanged, the handsome screech owl was swooping down upon them, landing gracefully on the tree branch just above Ron as he gazed down at the red-head boy.

"I wonder what Percy's written you." Harry mused as Ron reluctantly got up to his feet and stared up at the screech owl.

"I don't know, but it's probably something to do with my being Prefect." Ron said as Hermes swooped down and landed on Ron's outstretched arm. He held out a leg to which a letter was attached. Ron took the letter off it and the owl flapped it's wings once before taking to the skies, departing at once while leaving claw impressions on Ron's arm.

"Hmm… For some reason I'm reminded that I haven't been reading my book lately…" Ron muttered as he stared down at the claw marks before shrugging as he opened the letter and glanced over it.

"Yup, this is definitely Percy's handwriting…" Ron said sinking back into his spot up against the tree as the others crowded him.

"Well, open it some more!" Hermione said eagerly, "Maybe it's an apology or some kind of olive branch."

Harry, however, did not look so optimistic as he nodded for Ron to read it.

Ron unrolled the scroll further and began to read to himself. The further down the parchment his eyes traveled, the deeper his scowl became. When he had finished reading, he looked vaguely saddened and disgusted, but reread the letter with an arched brow as though something had caught his eye.

"Well?" Ginny asked, looking impatient as Ron read the letter over again for a third time.

_**Dear Ron,**_

_**I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister for Magic himself, who has it from your new teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect. I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations.**_

_**I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the 'Fred and George' route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility.**_

_**But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions.**_

_**From something the Minister let slip when telling me you are now a prefect, I gather that you are still seeing a lot of Harry Potter. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternization with that boy. **_

"I can't believe he wrote that," Hermione gasped, placing a hand over her budding breasts.

"There is nothing wrong with Harry, you jerk!" Neville shouted at the letter while Harry quirked a brow at him.

"You do realize that he can't hear you. This is only a letter." Harry said as Neville had the decency to look embarrassed, "None the less, thank you for that outburst on my behalf."

"Anytime, dude!" Neville said, giving a thumbs-up.

"I don't think your brother understands the value of true friendship." Hermione said, re-reading the first part of the letter, "If he did, then he wouldn't say some of these things."

"Our dear brother always did care more for his own ambitions." Ginny sighed, "He should have been a Slytherin, but I guess it truly is our choice in the end…"

"If we're all through with the interruptions," Harry said dryly, "There is still much more of the letter to be read."

_**Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this - no doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favorite — but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different - and probably more accurate - view of Potter's behavior. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing — and see if you can spot yours truly!**_

_**Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life **_**after**_** school, too. As you must be aware, given that our father escorted him to court, Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good in the eyes of the our government. He got off on mere technicalities, and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt.**_

"Yeah, the technicality of him being _innocent_!" Neville shouted as they all looked at him. "Sorry…"

"Your brother is smart… very smart…" Harry purred, "He hasn't stated his own opinion of me, but is passing on this information about how others view my person. Even if he had his own opinion, he's still giving us the heads-up about the government's view on me and what happened at my trial. They must not have released too much information about that, then."

"Yeah, that's what I thought after reading it the second time." Ron said, "The first time I thought he was just blindly following them."

"Well, he does come off that way," Ginny said with a shrug, "They have the power and that's what he wants."

"Or _appears_ to by those that don't read between the lines." Harry corrected.

_**It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with Potter - I know that he can be... unbalanced as of late and, for all I know, violent -but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in Potter's behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a truly delightful woman who I know will be only **_**too**_** happy to advise you.**_

"That's something like we did with our letter to Snuffles." Neville observed as Ron nodded, "We used words that we didn't mean to tip off the other party about something going wrong."

"Yes, that's right…" Harry mumbled, "Your brother is truly intelligent."

"So he wanted to warn us about Umbridge and how she'd take any chance to get info on Harry's personal life?" Hermione said, tapping her chin in thought. "And he's shown that he believes Harry is unstable."

"Or that it is what others most likely believe and he doesn't want to be ousted as one of my supporters." Harry said as Hermione thought for a moment before nodding.

_**This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry to hear that, so far, Professor Umbridge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (although she should find this easier from next week — again, see the Daily Prophet tomorrow!). I shall say only this - a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well-placed for Head Boyship in a couple of years!**_

"So Umbridge will have even more power within the school by next week." Harry said, leaning back.

"The Educational Decrees!" Hermione exclaimed, "Remember our talk with Moody?"

"So they're already starting on those?" Ron said before swearing, "Dammit, they move fast. We need to step up our plans."

"Already way ahead of you, boys." Ginny proudly announced, "Just leave the _real_ work to us in our department. You blockheads just stand there and look pretty."

"Damn Turks…" Ron muttered.

_**I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. (If you are writing to Mother at any point, you might tell her that a certain Sturgis Podmore, who is a great friend of Dumbledore's, has recently been sent to Azkaban for trespass at the Ministry. Perhaps that will open their eyes to the kind of petty criminals with whom they are currently rubbing shoulders.)**_

_**I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people - the Minister really could not be more gracious to me — and I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions, either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes.**_

_**Please think over what I have said **_**most****carefully**_**, particularly the bit about Harry Potter and Madam Umbridge.**_

_**And congratulations again on becoming prefect.**_

_**Your brother,**_

_**Percy**_

"Your brother is still a bit of a prat, Ron." Harry said dryly as he handed the letter back to Ron, "Though at least he gave us some critical information."

"Yeah." Ron said, "It was nice of him to prepare us for the half-literal storm that is about to hit Hogwarts in the form of that… woman." Ron sneered out, looking decidedly disgusted with Umbridge.

"So, yeah." Harry said, "If you want to… what did he say; "severe ties" with me, then I promise not to get violent."

"Ha, funny." Ron said, chuckling weakly.

"Even so, I don't think now is the time for that dry wit of yours, Harry." Hermione said as she brushed off the grass from her black skirt.

"Then what, prey tell, do you want me to do?" Harry asked as Hermione shrugged.

"Perhaps we can go to dinner." Hermione said calmly, gazing up at the castle, "All this critical analysis has left me with an appetite."

"Same here." Ginny said, folding her arms lightly under her budding breasts.

"Then dinner it is, my fair ladies." Harry said, rising from his spot and bowing the two young women toward the castle, "After you."

"You're just too kind." Hermione quipped dryly as she swept past him.

"Indeed I am." Harry said, following with Ron and Neville, "Though I've been meaning to ask about your own attire, Hermione. What is with the white lab coat today?"

"I just felt like wearing it." Hermione said, shrugging casually, "My parents gave it to me before I was taken to spend the summer with you all. They hope I'll follow in their footsteps as a dentist."

"They hope you'll leave magic behind once you're of age?" Ron asked, looking slightly put off.

"Maybe, maybe not." was all Hermione said. After that, they traveled in silence up to the castle.

* * *

"Exactly how many of us are there?" Harry asked over dinner as he glanced down the table, seeing Fred and George muttering to each other and Ginny shaking her head at them, "I'd like an estimate if we can get one."

"Well, let's go with the ones we know for sure right now." Ron said, leaning forward as he drank from his goblet, "You, me, Neville, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, Fred and George, and Draco. That makes nine so far."

"Then there is Snape." Harry said, "He hinted at being one."

"And so did Cho with her sudden reactions to you." Ron responded.

"So that makes eleven." Neville summed.

"Colin Creevey has been rather odd as of late." Hermione said quietly, her gaze on Ron, "He's taken to long walks by his lonesome, and now every time he sees Harry in the common room, he takes to silently gazing at him instead of snapping pictures off every three seconds…" Hermione's expression dropped to a deadpan, "…though he still does after a few minutes of staring…"

"Well, that's… something…" Harry said, now slightly unnerved by his stalker-fanboy's antics, "Anything else?"

"No one else I've noticed." Ron said, "Hermione?"

"Just Colin." Hermione said with a sigh, rubbing her temples.

"We should all meet up at some point." Neville suggested, "It'd bring us closer together, and allow us to figure out why we've come back exactly."

"That is a good idea…" Ron muttered, "But we had wanted to wait and see just how many more there were. Though now that I think about it, the number could be a lot."

"Luna will probably know." Harry said, "Her or Snape."

"Maybe even Genesis knows." Ron pointed out, "He's close to Professor Snape, and he seems to have more information than we do."

"We'll discuss this more so in the common room later." Harry said, and with that, they went back to eating until dinner was called to an end.

* * *

Later in the common room, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Harry were organizing a place to meet all those reborn by the Goddess while Hermione helped Neville with his essay for the Professor Sinistra.

"I can't reveal if Professor Severus Snape is or is not, in fact, a Turk agent." Ginny said, folding her arms lightly under her budding breasts.

"Just by saying that, you actually have told us that he is." Harry said as Ginny glared at him.

"I have not. He could not be an agent. We've had outsiders do missions for us before in the past just so some things didn't get traced back to the company." Ginny said calmly after a deep breath.

"We could always just ask Fred…" Ron said before leaning in closer, "or should I say; Reno?"

"So what? That proves nothing and gets you no closer to the answers you want." Ginny said, crossing her legs womanishly, "Even that moron would never break the sealed-lips policy our agency has."

"She's right." Harry said, "But at least now it's been confirmed that he is, in fact, Reno." Ginny's eyes widened before she chuckled.

"Oh, you two are good, I'll give you that." Ginny said, her tone deeply amused.

"That means that George is actually Rude." Ron stated, "Those two were assigned to each other in order to balance one another out."

"And you're Cissinei." Harry said, pointing at Ginny, "Luna had revealed that to us already, but I had forgotten it in light of Hagrid's disappearance and Umbridge's arrival."

"So what? You still have nothing." Ginny sneered, this time folding her arms over her chest tightly.

"We know that Reno has been without smokes." Ron said causally as Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"So what?" she sneered out.

"That means that he's clean in his life." Harry said, leaning in like Ron had done before, "But wouldn't it be a shame if we gave him a pack of cigarettes."

"He'd be so grateful to us as well." Ron said, "You remember how much he enjoyed a puff every two hours back then. We'd have him spilling his guts to us in a matter of seconds after we give him a pack."

Ginny had paled slightly, remembering how easy it was for Tseng to get to Reno just by having a pack of smokes across the table from the chain-smoker. Reno had cracked like an egg on the sidewalk in under five minutes that one time. But suddenly, Ginny smirked.

"Then why don't you just do that?" Ginny asked, leaning back in her armchair with her smirk still present, "It seems much easier than coming to me and asking these questions."

"Because we just thought of the idea." Harry said, exchanging a glance with Ron, "We'd like to have our questions answered by the lucid, not someone coughing and choking while they try to huff as many wondrous smokes as they can."

"And where would you even buy cigarettes, huh?" Ginny demanded, "Wizards don't sell them, and the closest place that would is Dufftown."

"Which for the two of us trained SOLDIER operatives would be little more than a pleasant stroll in the middle of the night." Ron said easily enough as he leaned back in his armchair with a self-satisfied look while Ginny growled at him.

"You wouldn't dare." Ginny declared, "I say neither of you have the balls to actually reintroduce that manic to fire and flammables after some of the things he did back then."

Harry was about to reply with a witty remark about his own sanity compared to Reno's, but then he blinked as something in the fireplace behind Ginny caught his eye. He had just seen something in the fire that could not have been there. It had flashed into sight and vanished almost immediately. But no… it couldn't have been… he had imagined it because there was just no way…

"Good, Neville. Now, write that down," Hermione said to Neville, pushing his essay and a textbook back to him, "then add this conclusion I've written for you."

"Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I've ever met… next to Angeal, of course." Neville said, smiling broadly.

"Thank you for the compliment, Neville." Hermione said, starting to understand just how much Ron's former-self meant to the boy, "Though helping others is simply what I do." she then turned to Harry, Ron and Ginny. "I've also taken a look at yours. Ron, you have a few misspellings in yours, but yours is good Har- …Ron? …Harry?"

"What are you guys looking at?" Neville asked, looking up from his essay as he finished it only to see Harry, Ron and Ginny now gazing into the flamed of the fireplace. Harry and Ron were on their knees, having slid off their chairs as they knelt on the singed and threadbare hearthrug while Ginny sat forward in her armchair.

"Er- guys? Why ya down there?" Neville asked as Harry glanced back at him and Hermione.

"Because I've just seen Padfoot's head in the fire." Harry said, quite calmly as Hermione gaped and Neville titled his head in confusion.

He spoke quite calmly; after all, he had seen Sirius's head in this very fire the previous year and talked to it, too; nevertheless, he could not be sure that he had really seen it this time… it had vanished so quickly…

"Sirius's head?" Hermione repeated, forgetting about Neville's presence for a moment, "You mean like when he wanted to talk to you during the Triwizard Tournament? But he wouldn't do that now, it would be too - Sirius!"

Hermione gasped, gazing at the fire; Neville dropped his quill. Because there, in the middle of the dancing flames, sat Sirius's head; long dark hair falling around his grinning face.

"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before those other kids cleared out," Sirius said, grinning widely, "I've been checking every hour."

"Are you telling us that your head has been popping into this fire every hour?" Harry asked, his tone dry and his brow arched.

"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear." Sirius defended.

"Hey, that's Sirius Black." Neville pointed out by actually pointing. He then turned to Harry, "The dude who's been trying to kill you." he then turned back to Sirius, "Nice to meet ya, guy."

"Hey there. Neville right?" Sirius said as Neville nodded, smiling at the supposed insane mass-murderer.

"This isn't funny. What if you'd been seen, Sir- Padfoot?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Well, I think a girl, first-year, by the looks of her, might've got a glimpse of me earlier." Sirius muttered before hastily pressing on, "But don't worry! I was gone the moment she looked back at me. I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly-shaped log or something."

"I wish I could smack you." Hermione said, taking a deep breath, "However, I cannot. Merely our prolonged conversation now is taking an incredibly awful risk -" Hermione began to lecture.

"You sound like Molly." Sirius said before scoffing, "This was the only way I could come up with of answering Harry's letter without resorting to a code - and codes are breakable."

At the mention of Harry's letter, they all turned to stare at him.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you mail that letter. Now Siri- Padfoot does this and Umbridge is suspicious of your mail!" Hermione said, her even tone broken with a snarl.

"It was a gamble, true, but at least it was a gamble that paid off." Harry said, though he was scowling lightly to himself, "You said you had answers, Padfoot. Let's hear them."

"Are you sure he's okay?" Sirius asked, glancing up at Neville, who waved cheerfully as Harry nodded.

"He maybe it a bit of an oddball-"

"Hey!"

"-but he's fine with us." Harry finished, completely unfazed by Neville's glare.

"The letter you wrote was a good one." Sirius complimented, "I had to reread it a couple of times just to figure out what you were really talking about at some points. That comment about my mother compared to Umbridge told a story of it's own."

"I'm glad it did." Harry said, smiling a bit.

"Well then, we'd better be quick, just in case we're disturbed." Sirius said, smiling, "You wanted to know what I found on the things you asked me to look up. I found only a little."

"Like?" Harry encouraged.

"Let's start with the easiest; wizards are from another land. Or in other words; another planet entirely." Sirius said, his face set.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Sirius said, nodding, "Wizards are from another planet named Gaia, or just The Planet if you will. They were descendants of an ancient race called the-"

"Cetra…" Hermione said, her eyes shining with a light of their own. A purity which radiated from deep within her soul.

"Yes, though that was all I found on that front. It just stops there. It doesn't explain how wizards got here, or why, or if here is really just across the ocean or something." Sirius said, sighing wearily, "The Lifestream is another thing I found barely anything on. All that was said was that the Lifestream is a long dead myth and belief in it has been around since wizards came to their "New Gaia"… it's all really frustrating."

"You're tellin' us…" Ron muttered with a scowl.

"Now then, Materia is something I found a bit more on." Sirius said, "Apparently it was how ancient wizards used magic instead of wands and such. The ancient wizards used them to do battle and cultivate the lands around them, making things bloom and blossom for many peaceful years. The Ministry of Magic still hold Materia, but it doesn't say where. It also doesn't say why wizards stopped using them in favor of wands or what caused them to so suddenly make the change."

"I see…" Harry purred, rubbing his chin.

"Now then, your scar." Sirius said as Harry quirked a brow.

"I didn't ask about my scar." Harry said as Sirius' blinked.

"But in your letter you said that the stomach flop happened around Umbridge in a detention, and-"

"That has nothing to do with my scar, though." Harry pointed out.

"Wait, what about your han-?" Ron began, but Harry quieted him with a look.

"Well, I know it can't be fun when it hurts, but we don't think it's anything to really worry about. It kept aching all last year, didn't it?" Sirius said as Harry narrowed his eyes.

"We?" Harry hissed, "And who, exactly, is this "we" when I believe I directed my letter only to you?"

"Harry, I had to share it with Dumbledore." Sirius said, "He asked to be alerted to these sort of things, and-"

"And once again I say: my scar is the only bit of me that Dumbledore cares for." Harry sneered, his eyes icy as Sirius sighed.

"Look, Dumbledore told you it happened whenever Voldemort was feeling a powerful emotion, right?" Sirius said, grinning when none of them winced, "Then maybe he was just really angry or something the night you had that detention. Now that he's back, it's bound to hurt more often."

"Well, that's a cheery thought to wake up to each morning." Harry quipped dryly as Sirius gave a wry smile.

"Yes, but we determined it had nothing to do with Umbridge." Sirius said as Harry once again raised an eyebrow.

"I never said that it did, merely that it happened around her." Harry said, not wanting to admit that for a fleeting second he had thought such a thing.

"Listen, I know she's a nasty piece of work; you should just hear Remus talk about her."

"I should think he doesn't like her." Hermione said, looking displeased, "She did draft that bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for werewolves to get jobs."

"He has been looking shabbier these days…" Harry mused with a frown.

"Oh, that woman is going down hard!" Neville declared as Ginny shushed him.

"What's her problem with half-breeds anyway?" Ron asked as Sirius shrugged, his shoulder visible in the fire for a spilt second.

"Scared of them, I'd suspect." Sirius said, smiling at Hermione's near palpable indignation, "The woman, if you can stomach calling her that, loathes part humans. Last year she campaigned to have merpeople rounded up and tagged, too."

"Why? Isn't she part toad, or something?" Harry asked dryly as Sirius laughed.

"Maybe," Sirius said, grinning widely, "But the point is that she's a piece of disgusting work. Speaking of which, how are Umbridge's lessons? Is she training you all to kill half-breeds?"

"No. Not unless doing them in with paper cuts is our next lesson." Harry said, looking decidedly bored.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"She's not letting us use magic at all, dude!" Neville whined, "All we do is read the stupid textbook! This is crap, man!"

"Crap is right, Neville boy!" Sirius said, looking personally affronted that kids weren't doing magic in school, "But it figures. Our information from inside the Ministry says that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"You have an informant in the Ministry?" Harry asked, exchanging a mischievous look with Ron.

"What a coincidence! So do we." Ron said excitedly, thinking of how he was going to reply to Percy's letter. He'd need a Turk's help to encrypt it, though.

"Wait," Ginny said, holding up her hands as the others paused around her, "Does that dufus Fudge honestly think that Dumbledore is forming some kind of army?" she asked, looking incredulous beyond all belief.

"That's just insane!" Hermione exclaimed, exchanging a look with Ginny, "And it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway, now would it?"

"What do ya mean?" Neville asked as Harry arched a brow.

"If Dumbledore were going to train an army, he would have been doing it for years now." Harry said, "In fact, he would have done it years ago, long before now."

"Exactly!" Sirius said, "That's exactly what he thinks you're doing!"

"Me?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes, you!" Sirius said, "Or, rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Dumbledore and you are doing; forming your own private army with you as the commanding general while Dumbledore is the mastermind behind the scenes, with both of you as the figure heads to recruiting. He believes this army is born for one purpose; to take on the Ministry of Magic… and win."

There was a pause at this, then Ron said, in the most deadpan tone ever, "You've got to be shitting me. That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard in my entire existence, and that includes all that nonsense about that fatass bastard, President Shinra, having a secret bastard son no one knew about."

"Ha, ha… yeah, imagine that…" Ginny said nervously, looking away as the others continued talking.

"So that's it! We're being prevented from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts because Fudge is scared we'll use our lessons against the Ministry." Hermione said, looking pleased with herself for having found the final piece of the puzzle, yet furious with Fudge.

"Yep," Sirius said, nodding. "Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to seize power. He's getting more paranoid about Dumbledore and you, Harry, by the day. It's a matter of time before he has Dumbledore arrested on some trumped-up charge."

"That reminds me…" Harry said, leaning back from the fire, "D'you know if there's going to be anything about Dumbledore in the Daily Prophet tomorrow? Ron's brother, Percy, reasons that there will be-"

"I don't know," Sirius said quickly, "I haven't seen anyone from the Order all weekend, they're all busy. It's just been me… and _Kreacher_ here." and Harry knew it was not his imagination when he heard the distinctive note of bitterness to Sirius's tone of voice.

"Now that explains why you'd contact Harry like this." Ginny said, folding her arms under her budding breasts.

"Clever little witch." Sirius complimented with a wink as Ginny giggled. Harry frowned, quickly leaning forward to the flames.

"Do you have any news about Hagrid?" Harry asked, just to move things along.

"Ah… no…" Sirius said, tapping his chin, "He was supposed to be back by now. No one's sure what's happened to him, but Dumbledore's not worried, so don't you three get yourselves in a state; I'm sure Hagrid's fine."

"But if he was supposed to be back by now…" Hermione said, her voice a bit small and anxious.

"Madame Maxime was with him, we've been in touch with her and she says they got separated on the journey home- but there's nothing to suggest he's hurt or… well, nothing to suggest he's not perfectly okay."

Harry, hearing about a journey home, gave a sigh of relief for his friend, yet he was still decidedly unconvinced to Hagrid's overall safety and health as he and the others exchanged worried looks.

"Listen, don't go asking too many questions about Hagrid," Sirius said hastily, taking their looks for something else, "It'll just draw even more attention to the fact that he's not back yet, and I know Dumbledore doesn't want that. Hagrid's tough, he'll be okay." And when they did not appear changed by that, Sirius added, "When's your next Hogsmeade weekend, anyway? I was thinking, we got away with the dog disguise at the station, didn't we? I thought I could —"

"You have got to be kidding me." Harry said at the same time Hermione and Ginny, very loudly, shouted out; "NO!"

"Padfoot, didn't you see the Daily Prophet?" Hermione asked, her calm tone now even more anxious.

"Oh, that?" Sirius asked, grinning, "They're always guessing where I am, they haven't really got a clue -"

"Still, it's too reckless, even for you." Harry said, "I don't want you getting caught, Padfoot."

"Yeah that's right." Ginny agreed vocally as the others nodded, even Neville, who got the impression that Sirius was a pretty okay person, "The twins saw Lucius Malfoy checking you out, and believe that he was the one that reported having seen you on the platform."

"Oh…" Sirius said, "Well… oops…"

"No, oops, Padfoot." Ron said sternly, crossing his arms firmly, "Don't leave that house no matter whatever you do. If Lucius Malfoy recognized you, then who's to say others won't as well."

"All right, all right! I've got the point…" Sirius said, looking most displeased, "Just an idea, thought you might like to get together."

"We would, and if you weren't a wanted criminal, then it'd be a grand idea." Harry said, "It's just that, we'd rather not see you thrown back into Azkaban simply because we took our dog into the sweet shop and fed him chocolate without any problems."

"Would he have problems?" Ron asked as Harry shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but I felt it was witty." Harry replied as the others chuckled at the two's antics.

Then there was a pause, in which Sirius looked out of the fire at Harry, a crease between his sunken eyes.

"You're less like your father than I thought," Sirius said finally, a definite coolness in his voice. "The risk would've been what made it fun for James."

"Yes well," Harry said, his own cool tone turning clipped and icy, "that reckless streak is probably what did him in."

Sirius said nothing for a long while his jaw set and his eyes hard as he and Harry locked gazes, "Well then, I'll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? That is, if you can stand to risk it?"

"If you need something to do, then keep looking for more information on the stuff we asked." Ron said quickly as Sirius gave a curt nod.

There was a tiny pop, and the place where Sirius's head had been was flickering flame once more.

It was silent in the common room after that. Harry stared hard into the fire for a while, as if willing Sirius to come back so he could give the man a piece of his mind, but eventually Harry rose in a single swift motion and ascended the stairs to the boys' dormitories like a silent predator on the prowl. The others, seeing Harry's mood, quickly packed up their things and went to bed as well.

* * *

Harry's mood had not improved much that next morning. He was still sore about the comment Sirius had made, and about his own comment toward his parents death. He understood why Sirius was so restless, but that didn't make Harry any less angry with the man than he was. It also didn't make him any less angry with himself…

Why had he said that? He didn't hate his father. He wasn't indifferent to his father's death as he was to Cedric's own. He wished his father was around, to guide him through these times so he wouldn't have to become the very thing he didn't want to just to survive. He wished his father, James Potter, was around to remind him that he was his father and no one else was. Especially not that complication of complexities named Hojo!

They had all expected to have to comb Hermione's Daily Prophet carefully that next morning to find the article Percy had mentioned in his letter. However, the departing delivery owl had barely cleared the top of the milk jug when Ginny pointed at a part of the paper and Hermione let out a huge gasp before Harry helped her flatten the newspaper on the table to reveal a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline.

_**MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM **_

_**DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED **_

_**FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR**_

"Umbridge? Inquisitor?" Harry said darkly, his half-eaten piece of toast placed onto his plate as his gazed stayed glued to the photo. "What in the name of the Goddess does that mean?"

Hermione, in response, began to read aloud:

_**"In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**_

"Don't the people think that it's bad to give the Ministry too much control?" Hermione asked, looking severely upset.

"Maybe, but most now think Dumbledore might be straight up nuts." Fred said, his head resting in his hand as his elbow sat on the table, "This is their way of protecting their dumbass kids."

"Public opinion matters a great deal." George said quietly, a pair of sunglasses resting on the breast pocket of his robes.

_**"'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by many anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'**_

_**"This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as August 30th, Educational Decree Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person. **_

"Which would be how the bitch got in." Fred said, stifling a yawn while George nodded.

_**'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumboldore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and of course, she's been an immediate success —'"**_

"Ah yes, don't we all just love her?" Neville asked as the others looked disgusted while Neville laughed at his own joke.

"There's more…" Hermione said grimly.

_**"'—an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.'**_

_**"It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.**_

_**"'This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts,' said Weasley. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect their fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that she has accepted.'**_

_**"The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents children attend Hogwarts.**_

"And just who did they ask about this?" Dean demanded, coming over with Seamus, Lavender and the Patil twins, "It certainly wasn't my parents."

"Or my grandma!" Neville said as Harry opened his mouth to make a quip, but closed it as he decided against it. His wit was at it's end while in his mood.

_**'I feel much easier in my mind now that I know Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, age 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. **_

"Well, now we know where Genesis lives." Ron said with a grin, "We should do something special for him."

"Yeah!" Neville exclaimed, "Let's egg his house!"

"Just what I was thinkin', Pup." Ron said as he chuckled deeply while Harry smirked.

_**'Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and are glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.'**_

_**"Among those eccentric decisions are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the employment of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid and delusional ex-Auror, 'Mad - Eye' Moody.**_

"Remus and Hagrid have been controversial, I'll give that, but not bad appointments at all." Harry said as the others nodded.

"Though that Moody one- Hey wait a second!" Padma said, "Wasn't that Moody guy actually a Death Eater in disguise?!"

"Yes, but when people around here start believing that I'm a liar and that Dumbledore is getting too old, they tend to forget about those little facts." Harry said, his tone biting as Padma looked apologetic.

"But we all saw Fudge's Aurors drag the guy out the next morning after breakfast when the Triwizard Tournament was done." Seamus said, "There is no way they could all have just forgotten that!"

"Maybe they never told their parents." Ron suggested, shrugging as Seamus, Lavender, the Patil twins, and Dean all flinched, "Umm… none of have told your parents about that… did you?"

"Well…" they all fidgeted around, murmuring and mumbling as they avoided Harry and Ron's gaze.

"That figures…" Ron muttered, shaking his head as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

_**"Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts "'I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step towards ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose our confidence,' said a Ministry insider last night.**_

_**"Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts.**_

"They shouldn't do that, they only make the Wizengamot weaker." Hermione said softly as Ginny scowled.

"I don't think it really matters at this point." Ginny said bitterly.

_**"'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.'**_

_**"(For a full account of Madam Marchbanks's alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page seventeen.)"**_

Hermione finished reading, looking across the table at Ron and Neville.

"Wait, that's it?" Ron said, leaning forward over the table to see the paper, "That's all they wrote for the opposition to this? And they're trying to discredit her as well for voicing her opinion?"

"We don't live in a democracy any longer." George said quietly, shaking his head as Fred scoffed.

"When did we ever?" Fred asked, laughing as Seamus and Dean looked at him like he was crazy while Lavender and the Patil twins weren't far from doing so as well. "Ever since Fudge took office, this has been a slow mounting process. It's only now that anyone with half a brain and eyes could see it now that it's gotten to the point of incredibly radical. The fucker is bat-shit crazy!"

"Ahh, yes. End on a strong note." Harry said dryly, resting lazily on the table.

"So now everything comes full circle," Hermione said calmly, leaning back with her hands steeped in front of her, "Fudge passed his Decree, forced Umbridge onto us, and now he's given her the power to inspect the other teachers." Hermione, despite her calm tone was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright.

"Umm… Hermione are you ok-?"

"I can't believe this! This is completely outrageous!" Hermione bellowed, silencing both Ron and the rest of the hall as they all turned to her. Slowly, everyone turned away as Hermione threw harsh glares all around.

But when she turned back to the table, a grin was unfurling on Ron's face as Neville started getting the same look.

"What's so funny?" Hermione muttered, crossing her arms like a child as she narrowed her eyes at the pair. Harry and the others, too, were wondering what was so amusing.

"Don't you see it?" Neville asked.

"Oh, I just can't wait to see Professor McGonagall get inspected." Ron said happily… a bit too happily. "Umbridge won't know what hit her."

Harry found his previous mood lifted a bit as he pictured the many ways Professor McGonagall could handle Umbridge.

"Well, come on." Ron said as he got up, "We'd better get going, because if Umbridge is inspecting Binns' class, then we don't want to be late."

"What would be the point?" Harry said, looking bored as he stirred a finger around his goblet's rim, "I don't think Binns' would even notice anyway."

"Aww, what's wrong, Harry?" Hermione said, moving back to Harry's side as the others looked worried for him.

"It's nothing…" Harry mumbled, rising slowly to his own feet, "We have other things to worry about. Ron is right, let's get to class."

"Wow, he's gotta be out of it. And it must be serious." Neville whispered over to Ginny, "He actually wants to get to Binns now."

"That _is_ serious." Ginny said, staring at Harry's back as the dark-haired boy swept out of the Great Hall.

* * *

Even though they arrived on time, Professor Umbridge was not inspecting their History of Magic lesson, which was just as dull as the previous Monday, nor was she in Snape's dungeon when they arrived for double Potions, where Harry's moonstone essay was handed back to him with a large, calligraphic 'E' scrawled in an upper corner.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your OWL," Snape said with a smirk as he swept among them, passing back their homework. "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in the examination."

Snape reached the front of the class and turned on his heel to face them.

"The general standard of this homework was… less than I would like. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination, though thankfully all of you knew the material on some level. I gave you a topic we had not worked on in the past years to see just how well you would handle it, and I can say that you've all put some effort into it." the Snape's face settled into a stone cold expression, "However, I expect to see a _great_ deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those who receive failing marks."

Snape turned away and stalked back to his desk as Draco settled back in his chair with a smug look on his face. He was sniggering, and said in a carrying whisper, "Who in the name of the Goddess could receive a failing grade on a pure research paper? Ha! It's pathetic, and they should be ashamed."

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Neville yelled behind Harry and Hermione with Ron next to him.

"Well, I guess we all know who got the failing grade now." Draco smirked, laying his head on his arms behind his back.

"I did not!" Neville shouted back as Draco only seemed to grow more of an ego.

Harry realized that Hermione was looking sideways to see what grade he had received; he allowed her a peak, smirking as he saw she had an 'O' on her own paper before he slid his moonstone essay back into his bag.

"Longbottom, do not yell across my classroom." Snape said, his tone never rising above a cool volume, "Especially when the person is barely less than twelve feet from you."

"Ugh… Sorry, sir…" Neville gritted out as Ron put a hand on his shoulder.

"Good, now then, let us get back to work. Today we will be brewing a Strengthening Solution, which also commonly appears on the OWLs."

Harry saw that Neville must have been truly determined not to give Snape an excuse to fail him this lesson, as he saw the Longbottom boy read and reread every line of instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. His own Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Hermione or Draco's but it was at least blue rather than the sickly green color Neville was feverishly trying to fix in a panic while Ron looked torn between amusement and shame. Harry delivered a flask of his to Snape's desk at the end of the lesson with Ron right behind him and Draco smirking up a storm in front of them.

"The puppy definitely isn't a chemist, is he?" Draco asked in amusement as he glanced back to see Neville's brew bubbling.

"Chemistry, I'm sure he could handle… if only a tiny bit better." Ron said with a sigh, "But _magical_ chemistry. That's a whole new Materia to master."

"I suppose I could help him." Draco said as both Harry and Ron quickly turned to the self-absorbed blond, who arrogantly tossed his head back, "After all, it is the duty of we superior beings to help the inferior along."

"How arrogant." Harry said as Draco looked back at him while handing Snape his flask.

"Perhaps…" Draco said, "But then again, I'm arrogant within reason."

"Perhaps…" Harry said, just to mock the blond as he too gave his flask to Snape.

"Maybe potions is just one of those subjects you _have_ _to_ have a talent in." Ron said as he gave Snape his own flask, "You know, like being selected for special operations during the Wutai War."

"I severely doubt that you can compare the two, Angeal." Draco said, leveling Ron with a flat look.

"But he is correct in a sense, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said, steeping his hands in front of him while taking another student's work, "Some are good at potions, others are not. The ingredients work with your confidence and magic. If both are not up to par, then you are doomed to failure from the start."

"So which is Neville lacking?" Ron asked, turning completely to Snape, giving the man his undivided attention.

"The magical control, that which he should be learning in both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration, though mainly the former." Snape said with a light shrug.

"And just about every year before this, Neville has never had the confidence, the encouragement, the talent, the drive, nor the determination to succeed at anything this school has to offer; especially Defense classes." Ron admitted glumly as Harry and Draco turned away, neither having helped the situation with their opinions of Neville in some of the previous years.

"True, but we're not here to give students that, they have to create that on their own." Snape said, "We cannot make determination grow if the individual only displays such a trait within the most dire of situations and only for when others have need of it. We work in a boarding school, not a help center. There is only so much we can do."

"I understand, but…" Ron said, then bowed his head with a sigh, "But the problem is now my responsibility. I will help him on his path, so that he may prosper and accomplish whatever dreams he may have in this life."

"Always so noble, Angeal…" Snape mumbled, "I thought that honor of yours would have died along with you when you passed…"

"Not on your life… Tseng…" Ron said as Snape's eyes sharpened with a dim glow to them, like the deadly gleam from a sharp sword.

"Always so perceptive, Commander Hewley." Snape said, rising from his chair, "Tell me, what gave my identity away?"

"You once told me that you hoped my honor would die with me, because the company didn't need such things bring it down whilst you Turks prowled the shadows." Ron said, "Though I do remember a number of times where you'd so openly remark on my philosophy as you just did."

"Well then, it seems that I, too, have gotten rusty in my skills." Snape said with another little shrug before calling out to the class, "Alright then, that's enough. Hand in a sample of your work, and then you may leave. That is all."

"Tseng, I should have known." Harry said, shaking his head as they moved out of the classroom, "Though I will admit that I suspected Snape was either a Turk or Director Lazard."

"You thought he was Lazard?" Ron asked, staring at Harry.

"Well, Tseng was never so direct about his attitude. He was mostly quiet and observant." Harry defended, "Lazard, however, was very subtle and yet direct about his authority."

"Who is Lazard?" Hermione asked.

* * *

"I suck at Potions!" Neville groaned, burying his face behind his hands.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as last week, was it?" Hermione said soothingly, being the first to climb the steps out of the dungeon as they made their way across the Entrance Hall towards lunch. "And the homework didn't go too badly, either, did it?"

When Neville only seemed to sulk lower, she pressed on, "I mean, alright, I didn't expect the top grade, not if he's marking to OWL standard, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, it's only natural that the girl who could brew a proper Polyjuice Potion in her second year should get an O."

Hermione blushed lightly, but went on, "Of course, a lot can happen between now and the exam. It gives us plenty of time to improve, but the grades we're getting now are a sort of baseline, aren't they? Something we can build on…"

They sat down together at the Gryffindor table, Harry steeping his hands in front of him as Ron and Neville sat directly across from him and Hermione.

"Hermione," Harry said sharply, an amused smirk on his face, "if you want to know what grades we got, you could always just ask."

"I don't- I didn't mean- well, if you want to tell me…"

"I got an E," Ron said, ladling soup into his bowl while Neville morosely took up some crackers.

"I got a P…" Neville admitted dejectedly.

"Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of, yo." Fred said, grinning as he arrived at the table with George and Lee Jordan, sitting down on Harry's right while Hermione remained on his left, "Nothing wrong with a good healthy P."

"But, P stands for Poor." Ron said as he cast a look at Neville, who was ducking his head under Ron's stern gaze.

"Yeah, but still better than D, isn't it?" Lee Jordan said as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"D?" Harry asked.

"It's a grade of Dreadful?" Neville explained as he tossed his cracker aside and let his head fall to the table.

"So the top grade is an O for Outstanding?" Harry asked, turning his gaze to Hermione just as everyone else did.

"Then an E for Exceeds Expectations, yo." Fred said, rubbing his chin in thought, "I've always thought George and me should've got E's in everything, because we "exceeded expectations" just by turning up for the exams, yo."

They all laughed except for Hermione, who ploughed on about the grades, "So, after E it's A for Acceptable, and that's the last passing grade, isn't it?"

"Yep!" Fred chirped happily, dunking an entire roll in his soup before transferring it to his mouth and swallowing it whole.

"Then you get P for Poor-" Neville said, raising both his arms in mock celebration, "and then D for Dreadful."

"And then T," George reminded them in a throaty rumble.

"T?" Hermione asked, looking appalled. "Even lower than a D? What on earth does that stand for?"

"Troll." George said promptly as Harry chuckled once more.

"I'm not joking." George said as Harry stopped.

"Then I'd hate to see what one of us would look like after trying to conceal such horrific grades from Hermione here." Harry quipped as he jabbed a thumb toward Hermione, who looked angry with just the thought. Neville gulped when Hermione's eyes landed on him, and Harry could practically see the boy's resolve to work harder.

"So… Any of you had an inspected lesson yet?" Fred asked them, seamlessly changing the subject while they shook their heads.

"No, have you?" Hermione asked at once.

"Just now, before lunch in Charms class." George said quietly.

"Well then, there are no worries there." Harry said, "Professor Flitwick is an excellent teacher."

"Yeah, but who knows what that toady woman might do?" Ron said darkly, pausing over his soup.

"Plenty I'm sure, but Umbridge will fine it harder to bully the teachers that have been around for a long time and have done an excellent job thus far." Harry said, gesturing off-handedly, "I, for one, know a few people outside of Hogwarts that might raise an eyebrow if professors such as Flitwick or McGonagall were suddenly deemed unsuitable."

"Hmm… That's a good point, yo." Fred said with a sneaky grin, "And might make McGonagall's inspection even better. Flitwick's inspection wasn't even that bad."

"What was it like then?" Hermione asked as she leaned over while Fred shrugged.

"The toad just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what Flitwick is like. He treated her like a guest, and her being there didn't seem to bother him at all." Fred said as Harry hummed in thought while Ron leaned forward.

"What did she say?" Ron asked, "No nasty remarks, I hope."

"Nah." Fred assured, "She didn't even say much. Though she did ask Alicia a couple of questions about what the classes are normally like. Alicia told her they were really good, and they are."

"I can't see old man Flitwick getting marked down." Lee Jordan said as George nodded, "He usually gets everyone through their exams all right."

"Who've you got this afternoon?" Fred asked Harry.

"Neville, Ron, and myself are to attend Trelawney-"

"Well, there's a Troll-grade if ever I saw one, yo…" Fred deadpanned

"- and Umbridge herself." Harry finished as though Fred had said nothing, "And if Umbridge were made to inspect herself, she would fine that she is the most unsuitable of all here; and that includes of Trelawney and Binns."

"Here, here!" Neville cheered as he raised his goblet while the others laughed.

"Well Har, you better be a good boy and keep the subtle work to us while with Umbridge today." Fred said with a large cat-like grin, "Angelina'll flip her bean if you miss any more Quidditch practices."

"I'll try my best not to steal your work." Harry said dryly, rolling his eyes as they all went back to their lunch and conversations.

* * *

But Harry found that he did not have to wait for Defense Against the Dark Arts to meet Umbridge.

He was pulling out his dream diary in a seat at the very back of the shadowy Divination room when Ron elbowed him in the ribs and, looking round, he saw the chubby Umbridge emerging through the trapdoor in the floor. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once.

The abrupt fall in the noise level made Professor Trelawney, who had been wafting about handing out copies of The Dream Oracle, look around for what could have possibly silenced her students.

"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," Umbridge said with her wide smile, "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"

Professor Trelawney nodded curtly and, looking very disgruntled, turned her back on Umbridge before continuing to give out books. Still smiling, Umbridge grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Professor Trelawney's own seat. She then sat down, took her clipboard from her flowery bag and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.

Professor Trelawney pulled her shawls tight about her with slightly trembling hands and surveyed the class through her hugely magnifying lenses.

"We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today." Trelawney said in a brave attempt at her usual mystic tones, though her voice shook slightly, "Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each other's latest night-time visions with the aid of the Oracle."

She made as though to sweep back to her seat, saw Professor Umbridge sitting right beside it, and immediately veered left towards Parvati and Lavender, who were already deep in discussion about Parvati's most recent dream.

Harry opened his copy of The Dream Oracle, watching Umbridge covertly. She was already making notes on her clipboard. After a few minutes she got to her feet and began to pace the room in Trelawney's wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there. Harry bent his head hurriedly over his book.

He could honestly say that he valued any other professor, even Trelawney, more so than Umbridge as he blatantly refused to address the chunky woman as an accredited teacher with the title of professor. He may not have liked Trelawney, but at least she allowed them to practice what they read.

"What did you write this time?" Harry asked as Ron got out his own book.

"I wrote about my obtaining the Buster Sword from my father." Ron said as Harry chuckled, "What did you put?"

"My entry was on battling a giant snake whilst saving a princess." Harry said as Ron cracked up, trying to keep from laughing out loud.

"Di-Didn't you already do something like that in this life?" Ron asked through his fit of laughter.

"Yes, but your sister isn't exactly a princess." Harry pointed out as Ron gave him a hard look, but then shrugged.

"She's more of royalty than you are…" Ron muttered as Harry looked amused.

"Really? Because last I checked, I was the last of a noble line of Potters." Harry said, leaning back in his armchair while Ron grumbled.

"Cheeky bastard…" Ron muttered as Harry smirked.

"So, which dream do we go with?" Harry asked, keeping back on track while Ron shrugged.

"Does it really matter? Both are sappy enough for these people." Ron said as he opened his Dream Oracle, "Okay, we've got to add your age to the date you had the dream, the number of letters in the subject… would that be 'rescuing' or 'snake' or 'princess'?"

"It would be princess." Harry said, glancing around as he locked onto where Umbridge was now standing at Professor Trelawney's shoulder making notes while the Divination teacher questioned Neville about his dream diary.

"What night did you dream this again?" Ron said, immersed in calculations.

"Two nights ago." Harry told him, trying to listen to what Umbridge was saying to Professor Trelawney. They were only a table away from him and Ron now. Umbridge was making another note on her clipboard and Professor Trelawney was looking extremely put out.

"Now then," Umbridge said, looking up at the much taller Trelawney, "you've been in this post… how long, exactly?"

Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, "Nearly sixteen years, thank you."

"Quite a long time, my dear." Umbridge commented sweetly, making a note on her clipboard, "So then… it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?"

"That is correct." Trelawney said shortly.

Umbridge made another note.

"And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?" Umbridge asked as Trelawney's lips threw into a thin McGonagall-like line.

"Celebrated Seer?" Harry mouthed to Ron.

"Really famous Seer of all time." Ron mouthed back as Harry rolled his eyes and flopped back in his seat.

"Yes," Trelawney said after a pause, holding her head a little higher.

Another note on the clipboard.

"But, I think- and correct me if I am mistaken- that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of Second Sight?"

"These things often skip generations at random." Trelawney seethed while Umbridge's toady smile widened.

"Of course, my dear." Umbridge said sweetly, making yet another note. "Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?" and she looked up enquiringly, still smiling.

Professor Trelawney stiffened as though unable to believe her ears. "I don't understand you," she said, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck.

"I'd like you to make a prediction for me," Umbridge said, very clearly to leave no room for further error. Harry and Ron were not the only people now watching and listening. Most of the class were staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking.

"The Inner Eye does _not_ See upon command!" she said in scandalized tones.

"Oh… I see," Umbridge said softly, looking taken back by Trelawney's exclamation. The squat woman hurriedly made yet another note on her clipboard.

"I- but- but… wait!" Professor Trelawney said suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was still shaking with anger.

"I… I think I do see something… something that concerns you, my dear… why, I sense it… something _dark_ and primal… some grave peril that haunts you… It stalks your steps this year, numbering your days within these hallowed halls before the beast of two halves-"

Professor Trelawney cut herself off, pointing a shaking finger at Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised.

"I am afraid… I am afraid that _you_, my dear Umbridge are in grave danger!" Professor Trelawney finished dramatically.

There was a pause as Umbridge surveyed Professor Trelawney, still smiling.

"Right then," she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. Harry noticed how Umbridge scribbled harder, putting pressure on her quill as she scratching sounded next to them, "Well, if that's really the _best_ you can do…"

She turned away, leaving Professor Trelawney standing rooted to the spot, her chest heaving.

Harry caught Ron's eye and knew that Ron was thinking exactly the same as he was: they both knew that Professor Trelawney was mostly just an old fraud, but on the other hand, they loathed Umbridge so much that they felt very much on Trelawney's side.

"Don't worry, Professor." Neville said, "We've got your back!"

Trelawney looked to him, then turned to Harry and Ron's table, to which both nodded to the sentiment.

"She really can't make you See anything on command, and you shouldn't have tried." Harry said, steeping his hands in front of him.

"Pick at us." Ron said suddenly to Trelawney as Harry gave him a stupid look, "What? It would get her at least a few points with that woman."

"It's also incredibly moronic." Harry breathed as Ron further encouraged the moth-like woman.

"I'm sorry, boys." Trelawney said quietly, swooping down on them. She took a deep breath, and then, snapping her long fingers under Harry's nose she became uncharacteristically brisk.

"Well?" she snapped, "Let me see the start you've made on your dream diary, please."

* * *

"I regret ever feeling pity for that despicable woman," Harry seethed as he shot a dark look toward the innocent expression on Ron's face, "And you and I will have a discussion about this later, Angel-face."

"Hey! That's just uncalled for!" Ron said, not liking the nickname his fan club had once given him.

"Angel-face?" Neville asked as Ron's eye twitched, "I don't get it."

The three were walking through the corridors toward their next lesson: Defense Against the Dark Arts. By the time Trelawney had finished interpreting Harry's dreams at the top of her voice (all of which, even the one that involved him saving a temple maiden while in his underwear, apparently foretold a gruesome and early death… as well as his eternal damnation…), Harry was feeling much less sympathetic towards the woman and her plight. All the while, Professor Umbridge had stood a few feet away, making notes on that clipboard of hers. When the bell rang she descended the silver ladder first and was gone from sight when they arrived at the foot of the silver ladder.

"And you never will, Pup." Ron said, "Not so long as I live…"

"What's this about living?" Hermione asked, arriving behind them as she came from Arithmancy.

Harry allowed Neville and Ron to explain the situation to Hermione about exactly what had happened in Divination while they all walked toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where Umbridge was humming and smiling to herself when they entered the room, waiting for them all when they reached their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson ten minutes later.

They entered the classroom in silence, taking out their copies of Defensive Magical Theory, but before Hermione could ask any questions Professor Umbridge had called the class to order and silence from all the others fell.

"Wands away, please." the amphibic woman instructed them with a smile, and those people who had been hopeful enough to take them out, sadly returned their wands back to their bags.

"_Most people would find it difficult to be a teacher and a High Inquisitor at the same time_," Harry thought to himself as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "_but seeing as this useless toad doesn't actually _teach_ anything at all, it really isn't that strenuous for her_."

"As we finished Chapter One last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence 'Chapter Two: Common Defensive Theories and their Derivation'. There will be no need to talk." Umbridge said as she held her hands neatly in front of her.

Still smiling her wide, self-satisfied smile, Umbridge sat down behind her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen. Harry wondered dully whether there were enough chapters in the book to keep them reading through all the year's lessons and was on the point of just outright not doing the assignment when he noticed that Hermione had her hand in the air again.

Professor Umbridge had noticed, too, and what more, she seemed to have worked out a strategy for just such an eventuality. Instead of trying to pretend she had not noticed Hermione, Umbridge got to her feet and walked around the rows of desks until she made it to the very back where they were sitting. Getting face-to-face with the younger witch, he toad woman then bent down and whispered, so that the rest of the class could not hear. Hermione seemed to shudder with disgust from having the fleshy stout woman so close within her personal space. Harry could practically see the discomfort wafting off Hermione as she squirmed in her desk when Umbridge opened her mouth and began speaking.

"What is it this time, Miss Granger?"

"I've already read Chapter Two," Hermione said calmly, relaxing her twitchy state to merely ringing her hands in her lap.

"Well then, proceed to Chapter Three." Umbridge said as Hermione fixed the woman with a sharp and piercing look, her nerves gone as she calmly but sternly stared the hefty woman down.

"I've already read that, too, ma'am." Hermione said politely while Harry raised an eyebrow, "I've read the entire book, as a matter of fact."

"Why?" Harry heard Ron mouth in front of him while Neville and Draco turned in their seats.

Harry had to ask himself that question, too, as well as when Hermione had gotten the time to actually sit down and read the book while they had all been practically glued at the hip ever since the last lesson.

The answer came to Harry almost too quickly as he cut his eyes at Draco's smug look, having come to the conclusion a fraction of a second quicker.

"_So, Hermione's doing the sneaky work now, hmm? But why_?" Harry pondered to himself, "_The Turks said they would handle things on the Umbridge front. I can see why she'd want to, thought. I, myself, am curious as to what the dullard amphibian has planned_."

Umbridge blinked, but recovered her poise almost instantly while Harry and the others narrowed their eyes.

"Well then, Miss Granger, please; you should be able to tell me what Slinkhard says about counter-jinxes in Chapter Fifteen."

"Of course, ma'am. He says that counter-jinxes are improperly named," Hermione said promptly, yet courteously as she gave Umbridge a graceful look, "He says that a counter- 'jinx' is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable."

Umbridge raised her eyebrows and Harry knew instantly that she was impressed, against her will.

"But I disagree," Hermione continued, just as pleasantly as she was as she leaned back in her chair and gave Umbridge a cool look.

Umbridge's eyebrows rose a little higher and her gaze became distinctly colder.

"You disagree?" Umbridge echoed as Hermione nodded curtly but once.

"Yes, I do," Hermione said calmly, and it was when Harry saw heads turning that he noticed how Hermione, unlike Umbridge, was not whispering, but speaking in a clear, carrying voice. Hermione's tone and volume was like a professor giving a lecture to a class, how like her own fellow classmates whose attention she had garnered already. "Mr. Slinkhard doesn't like jinxes, does he? But, I think they can be very useful when they're used defensively."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Umbridge said, forgetting to whisper as she stood up straight. "Well, I'm afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard's opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger."

"Perhaps a discussion on this matter is in order." Hermione said coolly as Umbridge raised her hand.

"That is enough," Umbridge said curtly as she walked back to the front of the class and stood before them all, all the jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson was now gone. "Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor house."

There was an outbreak of muttering at this.

"What for?!" Neville asked angrily.

"Oh, idiot don't get involved…" Draco said as Neville rounded on him.

"Don't you get involved!" Hermione and Ron whispered urgently to Neville, Ron making Neville duck his head.

"For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions," Umbridge said smoothly, as though Neville was now glaring at her with his head forced to the desk. "I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions-"

"So the Ministry doesn't want school students to… _think_?" Harry asked, a deliberate pause as Umbridge turned to him with a twitch, "Are we not sentient beings? Because with this Ministry-approved teaching, I'm starting to get the impression that we're supposed to be more of sheep."

"Ten points, Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom." Umbridge said with a tight smile. "Now then, as I was saying; the Ministry does not wish to _overwhelm_ students on matters about which they understand so very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them: with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age appropriate subjects, would have passed a Ministry inspection-"

"Quirrell was a horrid teacher," Hermione scoffed as she crossed her legs elegantly.

"Yes," Harry began conversationally to Hermione, though his voice carried, "and let us not forget the fact that he was controlled by-"

Before Harry could finish, a knock came to the door of Umbridge's classroom while Draco grinned and Ron sighed in relief that Harry was avoiding another detention.

"A moment, please." Umbridge said brightly as she went to the door. Opening the door, there stood Colin Creevey, the now Fourth-year boy who was Harry's biggest fan. He looked rather reluctant to be there as he shifted with something held behind his back. He had a feel about him as he sighed and then thrust the hand that was behind his back forward. In the hand was a bouquet of flowers, flowers which Harry had never seen before in his life.

"Yes, my dear?" Umbridge said, smiling as her eyes flickered from the flowers up to young Colin's face.

"Here, these are for you." Colin said as though he were in a boring class rather than giving flowers out. "Your secret admirer sends his best, and believes your doing the work that should have been done years ago."

"You're very sweet, dear." Umbridge said as she took the flowers. Colin looked stricken, his eyes wide like he was facing some beast.

"Oh no!" Colin said, shaking his head rapidly. "It definitely ain't me!"

"Oh?" Umbridge asked as she sniffed the flowers pleasantly.

"No, my dear lady." every head in the room turned back into the class where Draco was standing. Draco stood proudly, moving with the grace of a dancer toward Umbridge. "It was my father who sent for them, imported as a new breed from France. We of the Malfoys believe your exactly what this school was so desperately in need of."

"Oh, Draco dear." Umbridge said as she stroked the side of his face. Harry's mood was turned pleasant as he saw his friend's eye twitch under Umbridge's ministrations, effectively squirming inwardly as the class watched on.

"Right then, I'm out of he-" Colin was saying, but then his impassive gaze landed on Harry, and the young boy's eyes lit up like someone had set fireworks ablaze within him. Harry found it fairly uncomfortable how the boy was star-gazing at him, like Harry was his God and would suddenly descend down unto him with the answer to all his dreams.

"Umm… I sh-should… g-go…" Colin said, that was, before he tripped over his robes while walking backward and then scurrying away like a frightened mouse in the presence of a cat.

After watching Colin hurry down the corridor, Umbridge closed the door to her classroom followed by one of the loudest silences Harry had ever heard as the entire class watched Umbridge act the part of a teenage girl with her flowers, sniffing them and cuddling them all the while waddling back to her desk.

"Now then, what were we discussing?" Umbridge asked, her sweet smile and gaze on Draco as he too went back to his desk and shuddered before she saw.

"Nothing." Draco said, "We were reading."

"Of course." Umbridge breathed as she inhaled the scent of her flowers once again. "Please, continue as you were."

* * *

"I'm disgusted with you." Harry said as he and the others exited Umbridge's classroom. "I mean, I've been disgusted before, but that was a whole new low for you."

"Oh, shut up." Draco seethed, "I, personally took one for the team. You should be on your knees kissing my feet. That woman, if one could truly classify her in the feminine gender, _touched_ _me_! _She touched me_! Have you any idea how _revolting_ I feel right now?"

"I have a feeling." Harry said, still remembering his brief brush with Umbridge.

"So do I…" Hermione mumbled, "I think I need a shower…"

"There is not enough sanitizing chemicals within all of existence that will make me feel clean again…" Draco muttered as Ron grinned.

"Didn't you say that same exact thing back when-"

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Draco asked politely as Ron blinked, "Angel-Face Heaven-Way, right?"

"I'll be quiet then." Ron said, straightening up while Draco smirked.

"I thought you might."

"But back to the point," Harry cut in, "What was that idiocy was that?"

"A little something of the Turkish variety." Draco said smugly as Harry narrowed his eyes.

"I should have known you'd be working with the Turks to keep silent."

"Of course you should have."

"No one asked you, Neville." Harry said as Neville held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, hey! Don't bite my head off!" Neville said, "At least you don't have detention this week."

"A blessing, I'm sure." Harry said dryly as Neville grinned widely, giving a thumbs-up.

Harry glanced down at his hand, which was mostly obscured by the length of his sleeve. The scar was nearly completely healed over. Harry exchanged a glance with Ron, who frowned as he saw where Harry's gaze had been a moment ago.

* * *

"Mr. Potter, a word." Professor McGonagall said as she tapped his shoulder while they were down at breakfast Tuesday morning.

"Of course, Professor." Harry said as he put down his fork and followed the stern witch into the antechamber off to the side of the Great Hall.

"I've caught word that you nearly had another altercation with Professor Um-"

"Please, Professor," Harry said, snarling, "if I may speak frankly; do not address that mass of witless flesh with the title of one here to actually instruct young minds with useful knowledge. It is an insult to yourself and the other professors who can truly say that they are of intellect."

"Yes, well…" Professor McGonagall said, coughing lightly to cover her blush, "That distracts from the point. I had believed that we had an understanding last Monday. I know your temper is in check, but that tongue of yours is far too quick to let out a quip or barb. I'm going to have to take points; five points, to be exact."

"And why is that?" Harry asked, quirking a brow as McGonagall gave him a look. He supposed he was doing exactly what she disapproved of; making quips and barbs.

"For that; your flippant attitude and unflappable snide remarks."

"I can see how that would be-"

"Potter." McGonagall said warningly as Harry sighed.

"Forgive me. I suppose I can't help it." Harry said as McGonagall gave him a severe look.

"Well you had better learn, or you'll be in detention with _me_ next time it happens." she turned on heel, "And please inform Miss Johnson that if she continues her shouting matches in the Great Hall, she may not be captain of the team for much longer."

"I'll be sure to pass that message along." Harry said, but then McGonagall cut her eyes toward him again, and he held his hands up in surrender.

Giving him one last cutting look, Professor McGonagall strode out of the antechamber while Harry went back to the Gryffindor table.

"Apparently I'm a bit of a smartass." Harry said conversationally as he flung himself on to the bench beside Ron while Hermione sat with Neville on the other side.

"I'd say more than just a bit…" Hermione muttered from behind her copy of the Daily Prophet as she rustled the pages.

"So glad that you agree with her," Harry said dryly as he held his head in his hand, glaring lightly at the picture of Cornelius Fudge which obscured Hermione's face.

"As much as I love you, Harry, you do need to be kept on a short leash when you're so moody." Hermione said, still behind her paper, "You may not show through emoting, but I've observed your actions. When you're in a mood, you snip at things more frequently than not. I think Professor McGonagall was right to warn you against losing your temper at Umbridge," and while this was said, Harry spent his time glaring at the photo-Fudge, who was gesticulating forcefully from the front page while clearly giving some kind of speech.

* * *

Harry decided to take the childish route as he did not speak directly to Hermione all throughout Charms simply to amuse himself and the others as they sat next to them passing along messages with the Inscription Charm they had been practicing. But when they entered the Transfiguration classroom, Harry forgot all about his silly games with Hermione and the others. Umbridge and her clipboard were sitting in a corner and the sight of her drove the memory of breakfast right out of his head.

"Excellent!" Neville whispered excitedly as they sat down in their now usual seats. "Its about time that Umbridge got what she deserved."

Professor McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Professor Umbridge was there.

"That will do," the stern witch said and silence fell immediately. "Mr. Finnegan, kindly come here and hand back the homework. Miss Brown, please take this box of mice- don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you… Good. Now please, Miss Brown, hand one to each student."

"Hem, hem," Umbridge said, employing the same silly little cough she had used to interrupt Dumbledore on the first night of term. Professor McGonagall ignored her. Seamus handed back Harry's essay; Harry took it with grace and saw that he had managed an O.

"Hmph," Ron huffed, getting back his own only to see an E as Hermione turned back to show them her own grade of Outstanding.

"Right then, everyone, listen closely- Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention! Right then, now most of you have now successfully Vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have got the gist of the spell. Today, we shall be-"

"Hem, hem," Umbridge coughed again as Professor McGonagall finally decided to take notice.

"Yes?" Professor McGonagall asked, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec—"

"Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom." Professor McGonagall said dully before turning her back firmly on Umbridge.

Many of the students exchanged looks of glee while a few dared to chuckle. Harry was proud to say that he and Neville were two of those oh so brave few.

"Now then, as I was saying: Today, we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult Vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell -"

"Hem, hem." came that annoying dullard's insipid cough again.

"I must wonder," Professor McGonagall said in cold fury, turning sharply to Umbridge, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

"Whoo!" Neville cheered, but was silenced by a look from McGonagall. He chuckled nervously as she turned back to Umbridge.

"She sure does keep her temper in check," Ron whispered to Harry, both laughing quietly.

Harry leaned forward to Hermione, whispering in her ear, "I wonder if McGonagall is capable of turning Umbridge into an actual toad like the witches in fairytales are." Harry said as Hermione giggled.

"I wasn't aware that she wasn't one already." Hermione whispered back as Ron and Neville joined in on the stifled chuckling.

Harry quirked his gaze up to the front of the class where Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously.

Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the class once more.

"As I was saying: the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be Vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal with a spine and even more bones to deal with, offers a much greater task to tackle. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So then, you know the incantation, let me see what you can do…"

"_Pot has met kettle_…" Harry thought as he grinned lightly.

* * *

Umbridge did not follow Professor McGonagall around the class as she had followed Professor Trelawney; perhaps she realized Professor McGonagall would not permit such a thing. She did, however, take many more notes while sitting in her corner, and when Professor McGonagall finally told them all to pack away, she rose with a grim expression on her face.

"Well… it's a start…" Ron said as he held up Neville's mouse's long wriggling mouse-tail before dropping it back into the box Lavender was passing around.

As they filed out of the classroom, Harry saw Umbridge approach the teacher's desk; he nudged Ron, who nudged Hermione in turn, and the three of them deliberately fell back to eavesdrop while Neville walked out without having noticed.

"How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts, my dear Minerva?" Umbridge asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"Thirty-nine years this December," Professor McGonagall said brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

Umbridge made a note.

"Very well," Umbridge said, "you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."

"I can hardly wait," Professor McGonagall said in a coldly indifferent voice as she strode off towards the door. "Hurry along, you three," she added, sweeping Harry, Ron and Hermione before her.

Harry could not help giving his favorite teacher a faint smile and could have sworn he received one in return.

"My friend, the fates are cruel," a voice behind them came as Harry turned to see Draco strutting forward from down the corridor with his usual group of Slytherins.

"Loveless: Act Three." Harry said as Draco shook his head.

"No, my friend. Act Four." Draco corrected as Harry blinked, but turned away. He vaguely remembered that his copy of _Loveless_ had gone missing over the weekend.

"Why are you here? Don't you come from History of Magic?" Ron asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, but taunting you all with my amazing presence is simply an opportunity I can't afford to miss." Draco replied arrogantly without missing a beat as Ron scoffed.

"Someone's head is up their own ass…" Neville muttered as Draco shot him a glare, but said nothing while they all walked down the lawns towards the Forbidden Forest for their next class: Care of Magical Creatures. Pansy Parkinson had tried to make fun of Hermione's looks, but the only ones laughing at her lame barbs were Crabbe and Goyle all the while Draco muttered about needing new cronies.

When they made it to the class, it was there they found Umbridge and her clipboard waiting for them beside Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"I think she's stalking us, Harry," Neville whispered as Harry raised a brow.

"You might be right, Neville." Harry said absently as he was more focused on listening to what it was that Umbridge was asking Professor Grubbly-Plank. He was also vaguely wondering how the woman beat them to the class when they had left Transfiguration before her and headed straight down to the grounds.

"You do not usually take this class, is that correct?" Harry heard Umbridge ask as they arrived at the trestle table where the group of captive Bowtruckles were scrabbling around for woodlice like so many living twigs.

"Quite correct," Professor Grubbly-Plank said briskly, hands behind her back and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I am a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Hagrid."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron and Hermione, neither of whom looked too worried like him. Draco was whispering with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, leaving Pansy to hang by his side as she listened. Harry would have been angry and worried had it been the old Draco Malfoy doing that whispering, the arrogant boy would have surely loved this opportunity to tell tales on Hagrid to a member of the Ministry. However, if there was one thing he was glad for in their rebirth, it was the fact that he knew Genesis Rhaposodos so well, and knew just how loyal the man was to him and other friends. Genesis might have been an arrogant asshole all the time, but he was a loyal arrogant asshole that would never sell-out his friends.

"Hmm…" Umbridge hummed, dropping her voice, though Harry could still hear her quite clearly with his augmented hearing. "I wonder… the Headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter… Tell me, have you any idea just what is it that has Professor Hagrid on such a very extended leave of absence?"

Harry saw Draco swiftly scowl at Umbridge's inquiring before turning his look into an impassive façade while going back to his shushed talks with the two other boys. Though Draco, much like Harry and Ron, was still watching Umbridge and Professor Grubbly-Plank closely.

"Afraid I can't, ma'am." Professor Grubbly-Plank said breezily. "Don't know anything more about it than you do. Got an owl from Dumbledore, said if I'd like a couple of weeks' teaching work. I accepted. That's as much as I know. Well… shall I get started then?"

"Yes, please do, my dear." Umbridge said absently, scribbling on her clipboard.

Umbridge took a different course of action in the Care class, wandering amongst the students while she questioned them on magical creatures. Most if not all of them were able to answer well and Harry's spirits lifted somewhat more. He was glad that the class was not letting Hagrid down, and was sure that Hagrid would be immensely proud of them. Harry could also see that Hermione was happy as well, smiling as she worked on her diagram for the Bowtruckle they were currently sketching.

"Overall," Umbridge said, returning to Professor Grubbly-Plank's side after a lengthy interrogation of Dean and Seamus, "how do you, as a temporary member of staff- an objective outsider, I suppose you might say; how do you find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?"

"Oh, yes, Dumbledore's excellent," Professor Grubbly-Plank said heartily as Ron, Neville, and Harry grinned widely. "Yes, I'm very happy with the way things are run, very happy indeed."

Looking politely incredulous, Umbridge made a tiny note on her clipboard and went on, "And what exactly do you plan to cover with this class this year? Well, assuming of course that Professor Hagrid does not return?"

"Oh, I'll take them through the creatures that most often come up in the OWLs," Professor Grubbly-Plank said with a little shrug. "Not much left to do since they've all got down their studies of unicorns and Nifflers. I thought we'd cover Porlocks and Kneazles, make sure they can recognize Crups and Knarls, you know."

"Well, _you_ seem to know what you're doing, at any rate." Umbridge said amiably, making a very obvious tick on her clipboard. Harry did not like the emphasis she put on 'you' and liked it even less when she put her next question to Goyle. "Now then, I hear there have been injuries in this class?"

Goyle gave a stupid grin, but Draco was not grinning.

"Nothing to major, Professor." Draco hastened to answer the question before Goyle did something stupid. "That was me. It was merely a flesh wound. A simple scratch from a Hippogriff."

"A Hippogriff?! Oh, you poor dear," Umbridge said, now scribbling frantically as Draco sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, it was only because he was too stupid to listen to what Professor Hagrid told him!" Neville said as Harry shook his head.

"That is quite right. Professor Hagrid did warn us of the dangers, and Draco was too foolish to heed those warnings at the time. But with age comes self-preservation- I mean wisdom." Harry quipped dryly, then looked innocence when Draco cast a glare his way.

Both Ron and Hermione groaned when Umbridge turned her head slowly in their direction, her gaze on both Harry and Neville.

"It is not kind to mock the harm done to others after they have been tramtized by such an ordeal as a vicious attack by Hippogriff. One night's detention, I think. For both you and Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter." Umbridge said softly, as though she were truly concerned for Draco now before she turned to Professor Grubby-Plank. "Well, thank you very much, Professor Grubbly-Plank dear, I think that's all I needed here. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days."

"Jolly good," Professor Grubbly-Plank said, though Harry and the others heard the dryness of her tone. Umbridge, however, either didn't hear the lack luster response or chose to ignore it as she set off back across the lawn to the castle with Harry and Neville's glares hot on her wide back.

* * *

"So what are these detentions like?" Neville asked as Harry glanced over to him, the both walking toward Umbridge's office.

"Horrid, but mostly just because she is there." Harry said as Neville shrugged.

"Well then, this shouldn't be too bad." Neville said, a happy-go-lucky grin on his face as Harry sighed.

"Prepare for pain, Puppy… Prepare for pain…" Harry mumbled as Neville ignored him to whistle a tune.

* * *

"That was horrid!" Neville hissed as he clutched at his left hand, the appendage now red and puff where the words "I must not tease" were slowly healing into a red scar.

Harry said nothing as he trudged down the corridors. It was nearly midnight when they had left Umbridge's office that night. Harry's own hand was now bleeding, staining the make-shift rag he had wrapped around it as he grit his teeth while it healed ever so slowly. He was sure that Umbridge was using something to slow his and Neville's impressive healing process, but he couldn't be sure. He had never had more than a few bad injuries in his life, and never repeatedly in the same spot.

When he and the grumbling Neville arrived in the common room, they had expected the common room to be empty when upon their return, but to their credit, the two former warriors were more than a little surprised when they walked through the portrait hole only to find the others up waiting for them. Ron and Hermione were seated by the fire while Ginny, Fred and George were crowded around a small bowl on the table near the two.

"You guys are still up?" Neville asked, not even bothering to hide his hand as he rubbed at it.

"Yeah, we heard everything." Ginny said as she and her twin brothers presented the small bowl to Neville. Peeking over Neville's shoulder, Harry saw that the bowl was filled with a sickly yellow liquid.

"It's a solution of strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles," George explained quietly, "It should help."

"Express from Tseng-Snape himself." Ginny added while Fred grinned widely.

"Thanks guys." Neville said and as he was about to dip his hand into it, he stopped himself and turned to Harry, "But I think Harry here'll need it more than me."

"Don't concern yourself with my wellbeing, Neville." Harry said quietly, shifting his bleeding hand behind himself, "I'll be fine by morning. You should-"

But Harry didn't get to finish as Hermione huffed and rose from her chair, stomping over to the group with Ron on her heels. She marched straight up to Harry, staring him hard in the face before she wretched his right hand from behind him, and unraveled the cloth he had tied around it. She and the others, even Neville who had seen it, all gasped and looked terrified of the still bleeding letters as they slowly healed at the edges.

However, despise her initial reaction to the wound, something inside Hermione twisted and stirred as she gasped upon the bleeding appendage. It was a wound. A calamity to her friend's health and the very life-blood she could clearly see flowing in the blood as it ran down to his fingertips and dripped onto the floor. Something within her; something that wasn't smart or artificial created in a lab; something that didn't spend time analyzing and observing; something which sat deep within her like a primal instinct… something that was natural welled up within her core-being. It came flowing and powerful, like a busted dam that gave way to a mighty river. It came as a low song until it's music filled her being. It came like a light, growing brighter and more blessed as it shone.

It came as a single word which she knew held the power to restore that which was lost to a world.

"Cure." Hermione said, and with that single word her eyes glew brightly as did Harry's bloody hand. Then, it a flash of light, Harry's hand was healed to the point of where the only damage to be seen was the now faint and pale scar of "I Must Not Tell Lies".

Harry stared down at his hand in shock, not because of the healing spell, but because of the sensation in which it had brought. It was like a bright beautiful song had wrapped itself around his bloody wound, and then kissed it with the healing warm of an angel. Harry had never felt something so… so… so pure before a day in his life. It was nothing like the medicinal feeling that Healing Materia from the Healing Corps gave. The feeling Hermione's spell gave was so much better… so much cleaner… so much more blessed… so much purer than anything he had ever felt while on the mortal plane. The only other thing he could describe it as, though not entirely the same, was the relief that swept over him when Zack and that blond boy had killed him and ended his insanity after the Nibelheim Incident.

Then his blissful wonder was ended when Hermione suddenly slumped over and fell in a dead faint. Ron dropped to his knees in an instant while Ginny checked Hermione's vitals.

"She's okay," Ginny informed, and Harry let loose a breath of relief he didn't even know he had been holding in, "she's probably just exhausted. That was a Healing Spell, and by the sensation it gave us just from being near it's release, a Mastered one at that."

"But Hermione doesn't have any Materia." Neville said as George silently nodded in agreement, "How could she have cast that without one? If she was a Turk, we would have known by now, and there were no female SOLDIERs in the program."

"That's quite correct, Neville," Harry said as he dropped to his knee and examined Hermione. The feeling she gave him, he recalled another with such a presence. A smiling happy girl that gave the same feeling, but to a much less extent, "It is my belief that our dear Hermione Granger may, in fact, be a reborn Cetra."

Harry didn't bother with the others gasping or Ron's shell-shocked expression as he continued to survey his broken memories for answers.

"Ar-Are you sure, Seph-"

"My name is Harry James Potter, and yes I'm sure." Harry said firmly as Ron looked away, choosing instead to brush Hermione's hair from her eyes as the girl lay peacefully, as though any place she lay might as well be her final resting place. She slept as though the planet would protect and guide her, keeping her enemies at bay while she gave off waves of peace and kindness. Harry felt almost like he was looking at a hippie while Ron felt that Hermione might have been an Earth Mage like he had read in books during his free time as Angeal.

Even Crookshanks looked concerned for Hermione as he rubbed himself against her. But then, something in the cat suddenly changed as he stopped abruptly, purring peacefully, and then curled up next to the sleeping girl and settled down.

"Help me get her to her armchair." Ron said as Harry nodded, but when they went to reach for her, Crookshanks head shot up and he hissed venomously at them as though he would kill them if they did ham to his mistress.

"We aren't going to harm her, feline." Harry said as Ron nodded.

"Yeah, just bringing her to a chair." Ron said, "The floor is definitely not a place for her to sleep."

Crookshanks looked skeptical, and Harry wondered for a moment if he was simply imagining the look on the cat's face, but then Crookshanks got up and moved aside as he and Ron took Hermione over to the fire and gently placed her in the armchair she always sat in.

"I hope she'll be alright…" Ron muttered as he sat in his own chair, his eyes never leaving Hermione and the concerned look in them never ebbing a bit.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Harry said amiably, non-pulsed as he knew that Hermione wouldn't be outdone by a simple bout of exhaustion. Crookshanks and the others came over not a second later, with the cat staring up at Ron and then going back over to Hermione. Crookshanks curled around her legs, purring loudly before leaping into Hermione's lap and settling down.

"I still think we should tell someone about this," Ron said in a low voice as he gestured to Harry's scarred hand. "I reckon you should complain about this," said Ron in a low voice.

"No," Harry said flatly.

"Dude, do you not see this!" Neville said, raising his own scarred hand from the small bowl of sickly yellow liquid, "McGonagall would flip her bean if she knew—"

"Yes, she probably would," Harry said dully. "And how long do you believe it would take that dullard Umbridge to pass another of those educational decrees? One which would fancifully say how anyone complaining about her gets fired immediately."

"He has a point there," Ginny muttered, "Professor McGonagall is just a school teacher, and has no real power when it comes to these matters. She can barely restrain herself when Umbridge is inspecting her, so how do you think things'll turn out if Harry or you, Neville, drop something like this into her lap."

"And don't forget, yo, that Dumbledore allowed those stupid fucks to take away his powers in government." Fred added in as Harry scowled.

"And as woe as I am to admit it; right about now we could have used some of those esteemed powers to deal with the toad through proper channels." Harry said, "Because if I suddenly struck up a friendship with Susan Bones, Umbridge would be doing a lot more than simply stalking me in my classes."

Ron opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and, after a moment, he closed it again, looking defeated as he reached over and stroked Hermione hand with his own. The others politely looked away, Harry staring into the fire to give his friend some private time while Neville dipped his hand back into the bowl and watched his pains fade away.

Moments later, Hermione groaned into the land of the conscious as she blinked her eyes against the brightness of the fire.

"Wh… What happened?" Hermione asked quietly as Ron explained it to her. "Oh, I'm sorry if I worried any of you."

"It's alright, so long as you're safe." Ron said quietly, still softly stroking her hand as she looked down at the two appendages. She smiled at him, taking her thumb and gently caressing the back of his hand while he grinned at her.

"She's an awful woman," Hermione said suddenly in a small voice. "Simply awful."

Then her gaze landed on Harry, and he suddenly felt guilty for being the cause of the weakened and weary look on her face as she held his gaze firmly. "You know, I was just saying to Ron when you came in… we've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison," Ron said grimly, though didn't look as though he would take back the comment.

"But not that." Hermione said, seeming as though she had considered the idea, "No, I mean we must do something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any Defense from her at all."

"Well, what can we do about that?" Neville asked, yawning as he took his hand from the bowl and thanked the Weasley children again. "It's too late, isn't it? She's got the job, meaning she's here to stay. Minister Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well, she'll only stay as long as Fudge is in power and I doubt Voldemort will be able to keep a low profile for too long, yo." Fred said with a wide grin as Harry rolled his eyes, but did have to agree.

"Well," Hermione began tentatively, "you know, I was thinking today…" she shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and Ron before she then plunged on, "We were thinking- Ron and I- that _maybe_ the time's come when we should just… just do it ourselves."

"Do _what_ ourselves?" Harry asked suspiciously as he glanced between on and Hermione. He had a feeling he knew what they were getting at, and he didn't like it.

"Well… we were thinking that we should take upon ourselves to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts… ourselves," Hermione said calmly, exchanging glances with Ron, "And perhaps… more…"

"More, you say?" Harry said, leaning back in his chair like a lion about to pounce at the prey that was soon to be his meal.

"Wait a second, you want us to do extra work? But we're already up to our necks in homework already, and it's only the second week!" Neville exclaimed as Hermione stood abruptly.

"Neville, this is so much more important than homework!" Hermione said passionately, swiftly followed by a dead silence as all the others, including Harry and Ron, goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was _anything_ in the universe more important than homework for you, yo!" Fred teased, but was only rewarded with an elbow to his torso courtesy of Ginny.

"Don't be silly, of course there is," Hermione said, and Harry saw, with an ominous feeling, that her face was suddenly alight with the kind of fervor that SPEW usually inspired in her. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting for us out there; beyond these castle walls. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves readily. If we don't learn anything for a whole year -"

"Wow," Harry breathed sarcastically as only he could, "you truly are a passionate, aren't you?"

"Harry, that woman stands for everything that is wrong with the wizarding world. She is corrupt, thinks herself better than anything else on the planet, and probably believes in blood purity." Hermione said heatedly as she leaned forward to match Harry's gaze. "We have to put a stop to her before she takes this school down with her in her inevitable end. We have to do something about our own education, our own defenses, our own lives. Lives are at stake now!"

"Lives are always at stake!" Harry snapped right back as he slammed a fist to the armchair, effectively crushing it. "Nothing ever changes in my life. Someone of power comes along and puppets the people into a war, and who is it that they wish to save them from their demise? Me, that's who! Whether it's the Wutai, the rogue agents, or the Planet going to hell in a hand basket; it's always myself made to play the messiah! Even now, in freakin' _reincarnation_, people want me to be their guiding hero to save their own wretched existence while they cower and do nothing to save themselves."

"But we _are_ trying!"

Harry said nothing as Hermione shouted back at him. They just didn't get it, no one ever got it. Even Ron looked away when Harry switched his gaze to him. Angeal had always wanted to be the hero, he was ready and able back in those days. He took pride in his work, but no one looked up to him as they did to Harry… to Sephiroth…

"I understand how you feel," Hermione said softly, and Harry tensed as he felt arms enclose around him and the gentle feelings of ease and comfort creep over him, "I understand how tired and weary you are, my friend."

Whoever this person talking was, it was not Hermione. This person was far too gentle, far too consoling, far too… caring… This person was not Hermione, she was just too good at making Harry feel the things he had buried long ago in both lives…

"I can feel it, your innermost turmoil, Harry." Hermione breathed gently as she caressed his hair while he leaned into her maternal touch. "I can hear your weary soul and it's cry to end the torment, the sacrifice, but you must go on, Harry. You must. The world needs you. It will always need you."

"But why…?" Harry found himself asking as his eyes grew heavy, tears welling up inside of him.

"Because responsibility of this level is not given lightly by the Goddess," Hermione said in a misty voice that made Harry believe she would suddenly fade away as with his many dreams of his mother. He latched onto her, not willing to give up whatever this was in the face of suddenly waking up for it to be over. Not after all the dreams he had in both lives…

"The Goddess has chosen you to be her champion, but you do not stand alone, Sephiroth." Hermione informed softly, and even though he hated that name more so than he was willing to admit… when she spoke his former name, he felt almost proud of it… almost beloved to have it…

Hermione took Harry's head in her hands and brought him eye-to-eye with her. Harry stared into her eyes, seeing a peace and tranquility in their depths that made him want to give into their soft glow and sleep for eternity. She smiled at him, with the gentle affection that one would smile at their son, brother, or even their lover, but still it was different… it was more like she accepted him as family without ties of blood, as if they were both children of something far greater than either could fully comprehend.

"Harry, your journey is not a lonely one. We are here to shoulder some of the burden as well. All of us are the Goddess' chosen. We are _all_ her champions." Hermione said, gesturing to the others who merely smiled when Harry let his gaze wander over to them. It was a small assurance, one that only softened the blow by what Harry knew was to come.

"Understand this," Hermione said, her voice taking on a hint of firmness, "Whether you be Harry Potter or Sephiroth, you are still you. Do not look to the past to confirm who are, but rather to the friends that surround you in the present."

"Yeah man, we need you." Neville said readily, giving a goofy grin as Harry glanced over to him when Hermione let him go, still smiling her oh so gentle smile at him.

"You were a great commander and general before your fall." Ginny said, blushing as Harry's gaze fell upon her. "It's just a shame that we couldn't have been closer, because maybe then you would have stayed…"

"You were the best, yo! Especially when you got pissed off and made things go BOOM!" Fred exclaimed with a wide grin while George nodded mutely in agreement.

"Yeah, man! And just think about all the cool stuff you've done it this life!" Neville said excitedly, knocking over the bowl of Murtlap essence, which feel to the floor and smashed. "Umm… oops…"

"Yeah, yo, you saved that rock from Voldie in your first year here." Fred said as George nodded.

"And in your second year you saved the school by killing the Basilisk." Ginny said as she quietly added, "And saved me by destroying Riddle…"

"You fought off about a hundred Dementors at once in your third year." Neville said as he smiled.

"You faced Voldemort last year." George said in a quiet rumble as the others nodded.

"It's like I said before," Ron said, now standing in front of the armchair Hermione and Harry were seated in. Ron outstretched his hand to Harry, "Just follow your dreams, and your honor will remain. You are my brother whether you're Harry or Sephiroth. And this time; _nothing_ is gonna separate us."

Harry stared around the room, then back at Hermione who was still smiling as she nodded her own agreement.

"Don't you see now, Harry?" Hermione asked tenderly, "This is you; a savoir, a hero for the masses to look to in their darkest hour. This is exactly why we need you; why those who cower in fear need you. We and they need to know what it's like… to face great evil and survive, and prevail! To face a darkness such as the likes of Voldemort and escape."

Harry didn't even bother with the fact that it was only the third time in the last five years that Hermione could utter the Dark Lord's name, never mind the fact that it was the first time she ever did so without hesitation of any kind. No, he didn't bother with it, because it was that, more than anything else at the moment, that calmed Harry's fears. It was the mere fact that it was she, in that oh so melodious voice, who said it.

Harry smirked as he took Ron's still outstretched hand and stood himself. He stood tall and proud, surrounded by friends as he firmly clasped Ron's hand in his own. He understood what it signified. He knew what he was silently promising. And even though he knew what he was getting into, it did not completely quell his fears of the future.

"Don't answer us just yet, Harry." Hermione said, the glow in her eyes dimming to a soft gleaming twinkle. "No. Please, we wish for you to truly think about this decision. For it is only when you come to it yourself that you will find your own salvation."

Hermione rose from Harry's armchair, and Harry hadn't even become aware of the fact that he was now slightly hyperventilating, breathing laboredly as he stared into the flames that still burned in the fireplace.

Harry, as a first to him in a long time, could not think of anything to say. He was feeling ashamed of his earlier outburst now after his friends had spoken so movingly on his behalf. He nodded to Hermione and the others, all too aware of what he was agreeing to. Hermione smiled as she gazed upon Harry, but then she turned to Ron, and when their gaze met, it was like the two were far away in their own world.

"I'm off to bed. I believe everyone should do the same. Goodnight, everyone." Hermione said, and with one last exchange with Ron, she swept from the room like a gentle breeze.

"Erm… night." Ron called after her awkwardly before turning to the giggling and chortling of his siblings and Neville.

"Night." Ginny said with one last look at Harry, who did not catch the emotional glance as he stared into the depths of the slow burning log flames.

"Umm… is he coming?" Neville asked as he was pushed toward the stairway by Ron, who was followed by the twins.

"In… in a minute…" Harry said in a far away tone, "I'll just… clear up here…"

Harry indicated the smashed bowl on the floor as Neville blushed in embarrassment. However, that seemed to be all the answer that Ron needed as he nodded and continued to push Neville up the stairs until they were all gone off to bed.

Harry took out his wand, truly gazing upon it for what must have been the first time in months. When he was in class, he simply whipped it out and got to work, doing whatever tasked they were assigned with painfully boring ease. Now that he was truly looking at it, truly feeling it's power in his hand, he could felt something to it. Something that was both like Materia, and yet, at the same time, not…

Choosing to ponder the thought another day due to his sudden weariness, Harry pointed his wand at the broken pieces of china.

"_**Reparo**_," Harry muttered, as the broken bowl pieces flew back together and melded withone another, looking as though it were never broken and as good as new. However, Harry frowned as with another wave of his wand and muttered incantation, the Murtlap essence was returned to the bowl from the floor.

* * *

"When are you going to come out of hiding… Genesis…?" Harry asked, feeling so tired that he was tempted to sink back into his armchair and sleep there while Draco came out of the shadows of the room with a slightly less arrogant grin than he now normally wore. "I had thought you would have come out and joined the festivities when they began spouting on about how I was the hero the world needed."

"Oh no," Draco said, leaning on Harry's chair, "I was, but then they quickly pressed on about how we were all the heroes in this little tale. And I suppose I could allow my own greatness to be shunned a bit instead of dying another pointless death."

"You? Dying a pointless death? I don't believe you." Harry responded with a light scoff as Draco chuckled.

"Oh, but I did. It was pointless because it seems that we are no longer on the planet I once died for." Draco explained as Harry scoffed again. He should have known that Genesis would have been listening to his conversation with Sirius as well. He only wondered who else was able to hear the call, because his first suspects were the Turks around the school.

"I'm also a little miffed with you, my old friend." Draco said, leaning down Harry's ear, "Mostly because you, oh great general of ours, are a hypocrite."

"And how so?" Harry asked dully as Draco scowled.

"You talk about how none of us need to repeat ourselves like a cliché, but why is it that the Ministry has discovered an item missing from the Department of Artifacts? A particularly recognizable nodachi of massive length which is as long as you are tall?"

Harry froze as he recalled his unusual, at the time, craving to have his sword back. He supposed that now his rather hasty actions were coming back to bite him.

"I have not wielded that sword if that is what you're getting at. It is merely where I know it is safe." Harry said quietly as Draco's grip on the armchair splintered the top.

"And so is Angeal's own blundering broadsword, that damn Buster Sword. However, my elegant rapier, Rapier, is nowhere to be found!" Draco hissed as Harry sighed, feeling much to tired to deal with Genesis's bitchy nature.

"I don't have time to deal with this." Harry said, forcing his emotional drained body to its feet as he headed for the stairs. "I don't care what you do about your sword. Find it, if you must. Just keep it discreet and keep it from the throats of others."

"Of course, Commander." Draco chirped happily, and as tired as he was, Harry understood the horror he was allowing to be unleashed on the world. It was only too bad for the world that he was too tired to care at that point.

As Harry went upstairs, Draco sank back into the shadows to go wherever it was that he would be. Harry's restless night was punctuated once more by dreams of long corridors, locked doors, and the endless flames of his own past sins.

When he awoke the next day, Harry found his scar prickling again, though this time it was as if Voldemort had found something most interesting.

* * *

**A/N (IMPORTANT!): The original idea for this chapter was to have Harry so angry in Umbridge's class that he nearly attacked her with the Masamune and had to be forcefully restrained from doing so by Neville, Ron, and Draco all at once while the point of the blade was in Harry's face. This was supposed to be done after Umbridge makes a harsh comment about his parents and Cedric deaths being more accidents and Harry's fury coming from how his relatives had once told him that his parents' deaths were accidents. Umbridge was going to give Harry detention, and Draco was going to chew him out about being a hypocrite. After some time to calm down, Harry would have fallen into a depression about how he was beginning to lash out like the person- the Sephiroth- he used to be and how he feared he was started once again down the path of insanity.**

**The reason I cut this out is because it didn't seem to fit Harry's personality for him to so suddenly lash out from a simple jive toward those he cares for. The Harry I picture when writing this is calm, cool, collected, and sarcastic. When he's angry he becomes cold, harsh, and rather callous with his words. The only thing I think that would set him into explosive bouts of anger would be people bringing up the past too excessively.**

**The thing that was in this chapter (which replaced the scene) was actually quite hard to do. You see, the thing that happened was that the Turks (mainly Snape) are keeping an eye on Harry and the others from the background. Tseng Snape, as I like to call him, has (if you caught the references in the last chapter) been recruiting people to join the Turks as "sleeper agents" basically, and the ones around Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville are always on the watch for them. Even Genesis/Draco helps out when it serves his wants and needs.**

**Now, the scene is quite ingenious if I do say so myself. You see, when the shouting match is about to commence, Draco signals the Turks, who already suspected trouble. They have Colin (and if you can figure out who he is in all of this, you're a genius) go in to distract Umbridge with the one thing people like her love the most; air for to inflate their ego. Yes, Colin comes in with flowers from the Turks, to which Draco takes credit for and comes up with a believable lie that no one would dispute (because let's face it, Genesis and Draco are both arrogant enough to stroke the ego of anyone that could be "good fro business" as the term is) and Umbridge forgets all about Harry and Neville for the moment.**

**The scene comes into further play when at the Care for Magical Creatures lesson, she learns that Draco had been attacked. When Harry and Neville speak up in Hagrid's defense, she gets angry at them and concerned for Draco (the only student so far to openly declare his approval for her reign as High Inquisitor/Ministry Spy). She awards the two (Harry and Neville) detention merely because Draco "could have been traumatized".**


	8. The Classic Enigma

**A/N: I have only just noticed that this story is named "The REBORN SOLDIER". Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but I had thought and wanted to name the story "The SOLDIER REBORN". I'm not gonna change it, but I just thought that you guys should know how little attention I pay these things until I actually take a look at them. Haha…! Yeah, I'm kinda stupid…**

**Onto the story!**

**Chapter 8: The Classic Enigma**

* * *

Hermione made no mention to Harry about the idea they had proposed to him, and for that he was extremely thankful. Ever since sleep that night, Harry had gotten the feeling that Voldemort was gleeful about something. Harry couldn't figure out what it was, but whatever it was had held Voldemort in a good mood for about a week before the man's mood went back to its typical embittered and dark manner.

In that time, Ron had gone through four more Quidditch practices, and Neville had been banned from attending the last two because he was ruining their concentration with all his cheering.

None of the other Weasley children had been seen much unless they were heading for detention with Snape or going to class. In fact, Harry was sure that Fred and George hadn't been up to their dorm room in the past four days while Ginny came back each night for the minimum amount of sleep.

While their classes passed with barely an incident, Draco had recently began falling asleep in Umbridge's class, muttering about finding his baby. Harry took immediate notice of just how disheveled Draco was beginning to look. The way the blond's hair was no longer swept back, but left to appear as if he had woken up as some kind of scraggly bird's nest. There were dark shadows and bags under Draco's eyes as the boy grew a bit paler over the week. Harry was sure Draco was even looking thinner than he already was, and vowed to stop whatever nightly excursions were causing the arrogant blond's failing health.

Unfortunately, on the day he had planned to confront Draco to stop him this one wild, blustery evening in September, Hermione felt that enough time had elapsed to once again broach the subject of Harry's involvement in their silent little rebellion. They were in the library, having grown bored with looking up potion ingredients for Tseng-Snape, as Harry and his posse were now terming the greasy Professor when others weren't around.

* * *

"Harry," Hermione said suddenly, "have you given any thought to what we talked about?"

"Of course I have." Harry said dryly as he kept his eyes on the text of his book. Asiatic Anti-Venoms, hmm… "I have given the matter a great deal of thought over the past fortnight."

"And?" Ron asked in a rumble from where he was reading his copy of _Honorbound_ across the table while having a textbook opened to the ingredients he had been tasked to find.

"I believe you've all gone insane." Harry said just as dryly as before. "The idea will do us more harm than good if we're caught. It will give the image that we truly _are_ raising an army against the Ministry, as tempting as that idea is right now."

"So you won't do it, then?" Hermione asked, looking apathetic toward the possible answer. She looked as though she was at peace with all that surrounded her, her eyes having a gentle twinkle to them that gave her the appearance of the gentle loving soul she truly was at heart.

"I never said I wouldn't, merely that it was insane." Harry said, closing his text with an audible shut. "However, even I grow weary of all this creeping and sure-footing we're made to do with the Ministry hanging over our heads like some dark overcast. It feels as though we're children trying not to be caught cheating on some standardized test. And as ridiculous as the idea is, even if we are caught, I could care less."

"So you'll do it then?" Ron asked, looking a bit hopeful when he glanced up from his book.

"I'm… unsure at the moment…" Harry said with a sigh after a slight pause. "While I want to keep from stirring the waters too much, I'm also aware that this cold war against Voldemort will not be won by 'toeing the line'. If we want to get anything accomplished, then we'll have to take matters into our own hands. However, if we want things to not be so difficult for us, we'll have to continue as we are."

"So what is it then?" Ron asked as he and Hermione exchanged looks of confusion.

"It is… a conundrum…" Harry breathed as he leaned back in his chair, discarding his book to the table where all the others laid.

"Would it ease your weary mind if I said that we'll have certain protections in place to assure we are not caught so easily?" Hermione asked softly as Harry didn't look at her, keeping his gaze locked on the bookcase oppose of him. He wasn't sure what he would do if he looked into those eyes again like he had that night a week ago. He felt like a child that would do anything to please his mother, if only to put a single smile on her face.

The feeling both sickened and endeared him greatly, especially as he found himself stealing a glance at Hermione's gentle expression while already, subconsciously, planning training regiments.

How revolting…

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"How many?" Harry asked, feeling his throat go dry.

"Any who wish to learn." Hermione said clearly without hesitation to Harry's reaction, which was to sit up straight and narrow his eyes at her.

"Even spies?" Harry asked coldly as Hermione didn't even bat an eyelash at his suddenly snappish attitude.

"Maybe. We are talking about defending ourselves against the recently risen Voldemort here. It doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people." Hermione said as it appeared all fear went out the window in face of her serenity.

"Who have you spoken to?" Harry asked tersely as Hermione blinked slowly in thought.

"I might have mentioned it to a few people. Namely Colin Creevey, Cho Chang, and Susan Bones."

"Susan Bones? The Hufflepuff girl? Why her?" Ron asked before Harry could as the red-head closed his reading material in favor of the present conversation.

"Because she appears to have suddenly struck up a friendship with both Colin and Cho while the two girls worry over the young boy. I saw no logical reason in this occurrence, especially when they have never shown to even know Colin's name before." Hermione said promptly as Ron and Harry exchanged a look this time.

"You believe them… reborn?" Harry inquired, as Hermione nodded.

"It is perhaps the only explanation that makes sense." Hermione said with a shrug as Ron sighed.

"Boy, oh boy, things are getting difficult…" Ron said exhaustedly. "We can't keep track of all these people. Though the Turks obviously can."

"_Yes, but how_?" was the question Harry wanted to give voice to, but knew none of them had the answer for.

Instead, he said, "I highly doubt anyone else within this castle would want to be instructed in anything by me. I am, after all, a demented liar, remember?"

"You really don't understand the way you look to others at all, Har." Ron said with a shake of his head as he crossed his arms against his broad and tone chest. "Yeah a lot of people think you're crazy, but there is also a good amount that believe in your abilities, if not your sanity. They'd like to have you as a teacher compared to some of the ones around here; namely Umbridge."

"Then name a few who are simply _dying_ to be taught by yours truly." Harry said in a sarcastically lofty tone of voice.

"Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Ernie Macmillan." Ron deadpanned as Harry blinked in surprise at him, "I'd name more, but you only asked for a few."

"Well played," Harry complimented.

"We believe you'll be even more surprised once you see how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say." Hermione said seriously.

"Go on," Harry said, wanting to hear what they had to say while he mentally kept track of the time.

"You know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village so we can talk it over?"

"Yeah, let's _keep it_ outside of the school." Ron said, leaning back in his chair. "I severely doubt Umbridge would be very happy if she found out what we were up to."

"Really? I thought she would simply _adore_ the idea of open rebellion." Harry quipped as he gave a small smile. Admittedly, he had been looking forward to the weekend trip into Hogsmeade, but there was one thing worrying him at the back of his head.

Sirius had maintained a stony silence since he had appeared in the fire at the beginning of September; Harry knew they had made him angry by saying they didn't want him to come- but he still worried from time to time that Sirius might do something reckless by throwing caution to the winds and turning up anyway. What were they going to do if the great black dog came bounding up the street towards them in Hogsmeade, perhaps under the nose of some Death Eater who was on the lookout for such unusual sightings?

"You shouldn't be worried," Ron said, seeing the look on Harry's face and correctly guessing at what he was thinking, "even he isn't crazy enough to show up."

"Perhaps, but I have my doubts to his sanity after our last talk." Harry admitted as Ron shrugged.

"Well then, could you blame him for wanting to get out and about?" Ron asked, "He's been on the run for over two years, and I know for a fact know how somber that is."

"Get to the point." Harry snapped impatiently, not liking the thought of how Angeal had abandoned him in the muscular man's depression over the concept of monster.

Especially when it had been him, as Sephiroth so long ago, who had been the real monster in the end…

"The point is that now he's shut away in that house with Kreacher of all people." Ron finished briskly, his eyes narrowed. "And you know how much he detests that house and that elf."

"But until we find another place for him to be safe, there is nothing we can do." Harry snapped back as he and Ron glared at one another for a short time before both sighed.

"Well now, if you two boys are done with your masculine display of peacocking, I believe we were having a _mature_, intelligent conversation." Hermione said sharply as Ron and Harry looked away from her in embarrassment.

Hermione scowled as she settled her gaze on Ron, but otherwise ignored the slight at Kreacher as she pressed forward.

"The trouble we're having is that until Voldemort comes out into the open, we've all been forced to tread lightly." Hermione said as they all settled back into an air of casualty. "Sirius is going to have to stay hidden, we're being made to stay meek, and Harry, you're having to restrain yourself even more so than normally because just about any move you make could end everything."

"What is the point?" Harry asked, looking bored as he continued to keep track of the time.

"What I'm saying is that the Ministry isn't going to suddenly realize that Sirius is innocent until they've accepted that you and Dumbledore have been telling the truth about him all along. And once those clowns start catching actual Death Eaters again, it'll be all too obvious that Voldemort is back." Hermione said, briefly closing her eyes as Harry scowled.

"Besides, Sirius isn't a Death Eater." Ron added in, "He hasn't gotten the Mark, for one thing."

"That is only an initial indication to observe in trial." Harry commented. "If one were truly to be useful in an organization's ranks, they would not be so simply convicted on visual basis once captured."

"Like Lucius Malfoy," Ron growled, his fist clenched atop the table as Harry cast him a disinterested look.

"I don't believe Sirius would be stupid enough to turn up," Harry said with the scowl still on his lips, "Dumbledore would be furious with him if he did, and we have seen that Sirius listens to whatever Dumbledore tells him."

"Good point," Hermione said as she collected her materials while Harry and Ron began to do the same.

Walking out of the library, Hermione continued the conversation.

"From now until the outing, Ron and I shall be hinting out to people who we think might want to learn some proper Defense and perhaps more. As we've said, there are more than a couple who seem interested, and so we've told them to meet us in Hogsmeade."

"Right," Harry said vaguely, his mind still on Draco's odd behavior and his plans to confront the supercilious blond.

"Harry Potter?" a Third-year Hufflepuff male student called from the end of the corridor as they were about to go up the staircase to Gryffindor tower.

"Yes?" Harry said as he turned to the boy.

"Professor Snape demands your presence for your detention." the boy said as Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Professor Snape and I have no such arrangement. Now, be gone." Harry said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me correctly, _sir_." the boy said, something in his tone changing as he opened his cloak to reveal a crisp black suit and an espionage badge on the inside. Uhh… the Turks… "Professor Snape demands your presence immediately… Commander."

"For detention?" Harry asked, only narrowing his eyes at the black suit and badge as he glanced over the younger teen.

"For detention," the boy repeated dutifully before giving a small bow and turning on heel as he left. Ron and Hermione exchanged looks as Harry watched the boy go.

"Are you going?" Ron asked as Harry nodded.

"I must go." Harry said, casting a look over his shoulder as he began the trek, "I have detention."

* * *

Following after the departed boy, Harry was led toward the Potions classroom deep within the dungeons. Arriving at the classroom, the Hufflepuff boy took a sharp turn toward the wall opposite of the class' door where a blank stone wall. Placing a hand to the wall, Harry watched with immense interest as the wall rippled to reveal a classical chamber door as the boy stepped aside and opened the door for Harry to enter.

"The director will see you now." the boy said as Harry nodded, moving with purpose as he stepped into the darkly lit room which he took to be Tseng-Snape's office.

"Tell me, Commander, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" a voice in the darkness asked as Harry lifted a brow.

"I've danced with many a' demons, but I have yet had the pleasure of cavorting with the greatest of them." Harry replied as from out of the darkness Snape leaned forward behind his desk, which so suddenly became lit in dim light that gave the man's sallow face awash with an eerie glow.

"Well, you're about to take him out for a tango in the middle of the dance floor." Snape said as he slid a file across his desk toward Harry, who moved up to the escritoire and took the file to glance over as he knew the procedure with these kinds of meeting.

"Draco…" Harry uttered as he looked over the photo paper clipped to the documents.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy has been disappearing at odd hours of the night lately." Snape said as Harry continued to leaf through the manila folder. "The Headmaster is curious as to this development, but I've been able to give him the run around on this little matter. What we need from you, Mr. Potter, is to go catch up to Mr. Malfoy and see to it that whatever his business he is attending to is finished… tonight."

"You know what he's up to." Harry said, as he threw the folder back onto the desk while Snape's only initial response was the quirk of his right brow. "He's been trying to track down his sword, the Rapier. You've obviously been helping it as well, so don't attempt to insult my intellect with this imprudence."

"Yes, well, it was worth a try," Snape said as he leaned back in his desk chair while keeping his gaze on Harry. Then, as he leaned forward, Snape gestured for someone in the shadows to step forward as Harry found his eyebrow lifting when Fred came forward with a maddening grin.

"We have indeed been helping Mr. Malfoy track down his beloved weapon for the past week or so using our sources both within the Ministry and the Wizarding World." Snape admitted as Harry crossed his arms.

"And?" Harry pressed, wanting to know more.

"We've traced it from where it was originally within the Department of Artifacts before it was stolen from the Ministry during World War II and then shrouded in thieving mists until it finally ended up in the hands of a collector of rare weaponry." Snape informed as Fred took over from then while he steeped his hands in front of himself on the desk.

"Bad fuck for us, because our source didn't get the name of the guy whose got the sword, but only his address. The guy's in Walhalla, a town in the mainland of the Netherlands." Fred said with a grin as Harry rolled his eyes.

"And you allowed Draco to go off with such pitiful information?" Harry asked as Snape scoffed.

"No, we did not. He went off on his own while using his impressive abilities in magic to incapacitate my men." Snape said, and Harry caught a glance of how the smile on Fred's face dropped at the mention of the new reformed Turks lost to a single ex-SOLDIER agent.

"All you and me gotta do is help the little bastard find his precious sword, get out before the guy knows anything has happened, and then end up back here before dinner." Fred said, and then pointed a baton at Harry which coursed with visible blue electricity. "Got it memorized, yo?"

"Stealing other people's lines now are we?" Harry asked, shaking his head in amusement. "How rude of you."

"Do you accept this mission?" Snape asked, cut through the light banter as Harry glanced back his way with a single nod. "Good, then Reno will lead you to your transport. And, as for the duration of this mission, your codenames will be Reno and Sephiroth."

Harry wasted no time with further words to the Turk Director while Fred gave the man a nod. Harry stalked out of the room, not pausing for Reno to catch up as the man did so quickly while keeping himself half a step ahead of Harry to guide him in the right direction to their transport.

What Harry hadn't expected was to be guided into another darkly lit room with only a mirror as the only thing within the small narrow chamber.

"That there, is our transportation." Fred said with a grin as he pointed his truncheon at the mirror. "It uses some fancy-ass magic spell to send us to the closest mirror in where we wanna go. Don't ask me how it works, because shit if I know."

"I don't much care how it works, but more on if it's safe." Harry said shortly as Fred grinned again like an animal .

"Just ask Draco, or Genesis as he will be referred to on mission. He's been using this mirror for the past week, practically being our little guinea pig in testing the damn thing." Fred revealed as Harry could see Draco's impatience from both personalities playing a part in his latest spree of rash decisions.

"So we have a new Science Department, hmm?" Harry asked as Fred looked over to him.

"No, it's just mostly us Turks doing the work for now." Fred admitted, "Once we get a reborn Shinra scientist though…"

The two shared a significant look, both knowing the leaps and bounds that could be made once they had a proper expert on the mystical technology of old in their clutches.

"Well then, lets not keep Genesis waiting," Harry said strolling toward the mirror with Fred, "Now how does this contraption work?"

"Don't know, but I think it goes somethin' like this," Fred said as he touched a finger to the mirror's surface, which rippled like water under his touch until their reflected image became that of a fanciful mansion surrounded by a small town.

"The nearest mirror must be on the move into town." Fred said with a frown as Harry was wondering why the image was wobbling and moving steadily toward the town as though it were a camera.

"Then we had best move quickly." Harry said, "We don't need anyone seeing us appear from a mirror's surface like a couple of ghosts."

"Ghosts can't pass through mirrors, yo." Fred ticked as Harry gave him a look before proceeding to shove the foul-mouthed Turk through the mirror, which wrinkled with his body passing through like a pool of water before becoming whole again once he had passed through. Harry smirked a little when he saw Fred appear on the other side of the mirror while grumbling obscenities to himself. Then the driver of whatever moving vehicle the mirror was in became hysterical until Fred bashed the man's head in with his baton while glaring into the mirror as Harry finally decided to join the red-head on the other side.

* * *

"You really are a grade-A fucker, ya know that?" Fred said as Harry ignored him, the two politely getting out of the truck after having stopped the vehicle from crashing.

"I've been told so a scant few times…" Harry said lightly after glancing around the empty street which wound up a hillside, "Though I distinctively remember the ones telling me so being of the opposite gender."

"Oh, you slick fuck."

"Again; opposite gender."

Fred looked to have wanted to make another comment, but the two had quickly jumped away as they were assaulted with an enormous fireball bearing down on them like a giant wasp. Harry found the attack lacking in sense of stealth.

"But then again, that's never been your style," Harry said, his somber gaze on the figure which stood in black atop the rooftop nearest them. "You've always been the flashy one. Always the one for the spotlight. Always the one to make a scene like this…"

Draco said nothing as he raised his right hand, the palm lighting aflame as he glared casually down at Harry. Honestly, just how bloody dramatic did Draco have to be?

"My friend… why have you come here?" Draco asked slowly as he held the fireball while Fred came back to Harry's side.

"To help you finish your business here." Harry said as he wondered exactly how Draco had gotten atop the rooftop.

"I have staked out this entire village for the better part of a week or so. I have learned the nightly rituals of its inhabitants." Draco said, then he dispelled the fireball from his hand with a causal flick of his wrist. "I have also taken the time to stealthily acquire every mirror in this pissant little village and taken them all into the forest on the other side of town. You have ruined my carefully lain plans."

"And what did you have planned?" Harry asked, a bit curious as to what Draco would have done.

"I had written them an opera." Draco said loftily, tossing his head back arrogantly.

"Song magic?" Fred questioned with a clouded look on his face.

"Yes," Draco answered back casually before allowing his gaze to rest over the town in which he had a good view of, "They would have enjoyed hearing it as they lulled themselves to sleep."

"So it was Sleep magic done through melody." Harry concluded, remembering the spell as one of the more common used against the Shin-Ra army when they did battle against the Wutai.

"Perhaps." Draco said with a shrug as Harry knew he was right and Draco just didn't want to admit that Harry had caught on to his games so quickly. "At any rate, with the two of you here, I'll have to switch to Plan B."

"And what exactly is this Plan B you've got up your sleeve?" Harry inquired as Draco looked down at him, the darkened sky and the light of the moon giving his features a majestic appearance as Harry was sure was Draco's intent.

"We disturb the peace, of course. As simple as that." Draco said with a causal air as Harry got the feeling Draco was going to do a lot more than simply waking the neighborhood.

* * *

Moving up the street with the moonlight at their backs, Harry was sure that Draco had wanted a wrench thrown into his plans as the blond practically swaggered up the road more so than normal with an extra bounce in his step. As the mansion of their target came into view, Harry allowed a deep scowl to mar his features as he took in the overly extravagant structure which offset the rest of the little town.

The mansion was painted a rainbow of color, the hedges were cut into all manner of animals, and the gates sat before them in a golden hue as they drew closer. Atop the hill the mansion sat, looming over the town as a constant reminder of its superiority. Harry found the blatant act disgusting as well as tacky, but shrugged off the thoughts as he knew that Draco might just end up razing the place to the ground.

"How tacky…" Draco muttered as he stopped skipping with Fred at Harry's side, all three wearing expressions of displeasure.

"It really is. Fucking thing is an eyesore at that." Fred said, chewing on a small sucker as he gazed up at the mansion. The large building was now obscuring the moonlight as they stood in its shadow, gazing at it with narrowed eyes. "I mean, who the fuck paints their pad green, blue, and red for exterior colors?"

"Truly the one who lives here is a avoiding capture, and punishment from being a crime against fashion." Draco sneered as Harry nodded.

"Though I don't think the fashion police will have far to look if they keep these colors." Harry said dryly as the three exchanged looks before nodding as one.

The actions were done so instinctively and so well, that had Harry been a bystander on the street, he would have sworn they were well-practiced and trained professionals. Harry and Fred dropped down to one knee just outside of the mansion's large golden gates, their eyes aglow as they each cupped their hands together. Draco jumped, landing in their palms a split second before they boosted him with all their might into the air toward the gate. Though he didn't make a clean jump over, Draco twisted his body just enough to clear the gates as he landed in a crouch on the other side. Not even bothering to look back at them, the blond quickly hid himself in the nearest bushes that were shaped like horses.

Harry was next, nodding to Fred as the other got up and boosted Harry, who flipped back as his feet caught the side wall where he pushed off and jumped onto the gate. Grabbing the gates, Harry swung his lower body overhead, and kicked his legs out long enough for him to get over the gate. Quickly letting go of the gate, Harry barely cleared the top spikes as he dropped into a crouch on the other side of the gates. Hissing in pain, Harry looked down at his robes, which were clawed away in three spots while thin scratches adorned his abdomen and trickled with blood. Looking up, Harry saw three scraps of black wafting in the nightly breeze atop three golden arrow tips on the gates. Wasting no more time, Harry quickly disappeared behind a hippo-shaped bush as he and Draco waited for Fred to arrive.

Not even a second later, the two heard a grunt of effort, and the fall of shoes onto pavement before a shadowy streak coursed its way up to the bush in kitten form.

Draco and Harry moved in quick bursts, maneuvering their way up toward the door of the mansion as they trailed behind Fred, who seemed like he was a ninja from birth as they barely caught his movements until he was posted on the side of the front door. Draco reached the doors before Harry, posting himself on the other side as Harry was made to crouch at the door as he awaited their signal to break it in.

Fred appeared to be waiting for something as he stood at the door with his hand raised to halt any move Draco might make in his impatience. After five tensely awkward minutes slugged past the trio, Fred dropped his hand as Harry charged the door, jumping the last leg as he quickly spun with his foot out.

Harry's foot caught the door at its knob, making the door burst inward as it was nearly ripped off its hinges. The door created a long bang as it slammed open, and as soon as Harry landed in a crouch once more, Fred and Draco were already in the house awaiting a possible countermove.

"Knock, knock!" Draco called loudly as soon as he was in the house. Harry was beginning to greatly question the purpose of their storming the house, especially since it was just the three of them. While he had been very prideful as Sephiroth in his abilities to deal with nearly any situation he was thrown in, Harry found it a rather stupid idea to charge into unknown territory when they were only three against what could have been a house armed with a hundred gunmen.

But, the house wasn't armed to the teeth with gunmen. In fact, it appeared completely devoid of life as most of the antique furniture was covered in dusty sheets, and the house was cast in darkness much like an endless void if one were to step beyond the foyer they had burst into.

"And here I was expecting a challenge…" Draco muttered with a clearly dissatisfied air as he clicked his teeth and began inspecting the mansion's interior.

"This is for the better," Harry said, "I haven't checked to see if I have most of my old abilities anyway. Have come here blind was an idiotic idea, and I'm glad this place is empty."

"Perhaps, but that would have been far more thrilling than this," Draco said, kicking at a handcrafted armchair with the white sheet draped over it. The dust quickly shifted from the cover, spreading through the air like a thin mist. Draco coughed as the dust particles hit his lungs while Harry glanced over to him in concern.

"Well fuck, this place is deserted." Fred said as he looked around, placing his baton back into the confides of his robes.

"Brilliant observation there, Watson." Harry quipped dryly as Fred shrugged.

"No problem there, Sephie." Fred chirped as Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Call me that again, and your tongue receives a permanent separation from your mouth." Harry growled as Fred paled, and nodded quickly.

"Enough!" Draco snarled, regaining focus on why they had barged into the house in the first place, "Let's just get my sword, and go. I'll deal with the plebian who took it later."

"As I'm sure you will." Harry snarled as Fred made a gesture for Draco to take the lead.

"After you, Queenie." Fred quipped as Draco turned his nose up at him.

"Call me that again, and I'll burn you in flames worse than all the fires within Hell." Draco said coldly as Fred paled again before rapidly nodding.

"You fuckers are so damn evil…"

* * *

Moving through the mansion as they uncovered anything and everything that could be even remotely hiding Draco's blade, the three swept from room to room as dust and dirt rose in their wake. It was only when the trio came to the parlor room did they find their objective, resting comfortably within an antique showcase. The dim light from the nearby window gleamed off the crimson blade, giving the rapier an angelic appearance as though time had stood still for it.

"My pretty," Draco breathed in awe as he rushed toward the casing.

"Well, this shit was anticlimactic…" Fred muttered as he shouldered his baton.

"I'm glad." Harry spoke up, "I like anticlimactic."

"Only you would…" Fred muttered with a shake of his head as the two moved forward to help Draco, who was having trouble opening the show-cabinet.

"This stupid thing won't open!" Draco roared as he slammed his fist onto the glass, which didn't even budge under his effeminate strength. "Dammit, where's Angeal when you need the bastard…"

"It's your own fault for not working out." Harry said as he slowly lifted a hand toward the lock, "Perhaps then you won't have the strength of a twelve year-old girl."

"And maybe then I could break your face for remarks like that." Draco snapped back as Harry shrugged.

"Unlock." Harry said, blue lightning arching off his fingertips into the lock as he commanded it to do his bidding. A clicking noise was their reward as they found the door to the showcase creaking open much to Draco's delight.

"What spell was that?" Fred asked as Harry shrugged again, turning away from the showcase to inspect his burnt fingertip on his right hand.

"I'm not sure. I thought willpower was what made spells work, that is what I thought made our wands work. I believed if I put enough intent behind my wanting the lock to be undone, then it would. However…" Harry cast a long glance at the smoke rising off his fingers, "… it would seem that such things come with a price. It would all be much easier with Materia or our wands."

"Yeah, about that-" Fred started, but Draco's girlish squeal of delight interrupted him.

"Oh, my baby! I'm so glad to have you back!" Draco squealed, hugging the sharp sword to his chest as though it were a mere puppy in his arms, "Momma won't ever let you out of his sight again. Shush, shh, that's right, Momma's here…"

"I think you're in need of some counsel-" Harry was saying, turning to Draco as Fred gave the blond an odd look.

Harry, however, was caught off guard like his two cohorts when the floor beneath them gave away, making the three of them deep into the darkness below them. Draco screamed while Fred yelled obscenities. Harry remained quiet as they fell, crossing his arms as they hit a slope in their descent which quickly turned into a slide of some kind. Glancing over, Harry saw that Draco's arms were bleeding somewhat with how tightly the blond was holding his precious sword. Honestly, Harry could murder the arrogant little prat with how many crazy situations he got him into. The slide finally ended with their feet kicking through a wooden trapdoor, which made them fall onto the hard concrete floor as the slide came to an abrupt end.

Getting up and dusting themselves off, Harry cast a glance around at their new surrounds while Draco and Fred took care of Draco's wounds. The air in this new place was cool and damp, there was little light, and it appeared as though someone had trapped them in a jail of some kind as the only visible exit, which happened to be a staircase, was blocked by a set of bar doors.

"Stealing from an empty house." a voice came as did the click of dressy shoes walking along stone, "How low are kids getting these days?"

There was nowhere to hide, as Fred soon found, while Harry's face remained impassionate to whomever was addressing them. Draco, however, was once again clutching at his sword.

"No matter," the voice said as it drew closer. "I knew you'd come someday. It's why I bought the damned thing from the addict in the first place. I knew you'd come and die to have it back… Genesis Rhapsodos…"

"That voice…" Draco muttered, his face set in purposeful disinterest. "It's so… familiarly unattractive…"

Finally, the clicking of shoes on stone stopped as a man came into sight and stood in front of the dungeon doors. This man had his hands clasped tightly behind his back, his beard and mustache were as tidy as one could keep their facial hairs. In fact, Harry would bet money the man had just been trimmed this morning much like Harry's Uncle Vernon did at the beginning of every week. The man's dark blue business suit was crisp, with sharp creases that gave him an air of professionalism as his dark eyes gazed over them as though they were mere tools that needed to be disposed.

"Heidegger…" Draco growled as darkly as he could while his stormy grey eyes narrowed in visible disgust with the older man before them.

"Ah, yes, I remember now." Harry said, casting a glance back at Draco before his glimmering eyes narrowed slightly at the identified man, "You were the head of the military."

"Public Safety." Heidegger corrected airily.

"Which was a fuckin' euphemism for the military!" Fred argued hotly as he once again took out the baton that he couldn't seem to put away for five minutes.

Heidegger didn't deem Fred's point good enough for a response as he ignored the redhead and allowed his hate-filled steely gaze to settle on Draco. "I hope you enjoy that sword, boy. Because you, it, and these two will rot away in here for the rest of eternity."

"And how, oh divine one, are you going to keep us here?" Draco asked, but before any of them could say another word, a fireball the same of an old fashion football was resting in Draco's palm a split second before it was flung at Heidegger with a roar.

Heidegger didn't budge as the fireball crashed into the bar doors, which is where it fizzled into embers that quickly went out. When the final ember went out, Heidegger raised a brow at the now fuming blond.

"Did you think me some cliché villain who would imprison you without some way of keeping you trapped?" Heidegger sneered, "Please. Don't insult my intelligence with am undignified response. I've had much time to set this up after my reintegration, and I knew someone like myself was given a second chance, you wouldn't be far behind. Though twenty years has given me much time to recall my facts about you and the typical super solider prowess."

"So you designed this cell to hold SOLDIER?" Fred asked as Heidegger shook his head, regarding the redhead like an unobservant child.

"Fool! Do you think I would not prepare for _any_ situation?!" Heidegger said loudly, his voice booming off the cavernous walls. Then, without another word, the man turned from them and began his ascension up the stone steps.

"Wait! Where are you going? We're not done talking with you yet!" Draco shouted after the man, who merely inclined his neck and shot a disgusted gaze at Draco.

"We have nothing left to discuss, Mr. Rhaposodos." Heidegger said with air of professionalism, as though they had just closed the deal on some business. "It was you, Mr. Rhaposodos, which started all the unfortunate business that gave rise to my demotion, and then eventual assassination. You, having turned traitor against the company, caused the dominoes to tumble in the pattern in which they did. Everything that I earned turned to ashes in the gale, everything that was stripped from me drowned in a sea of meaninglessness. It was your fault, and now you shall pay for it."

"You don't sound to upset." Harry remarked as Heidegger gave a shrug.

"Twenty years of burning hatred is a long enough while for me to cool down." Heidegger said airily, "Now then, if you'll excuse me; I have a plane to catch."

"A plane?" Fred asked.

"Yes, as in the type used to fly through the air and across vast oceans." Heidegger said dryly, "By the time I've reached the Americas, you three will have starved to death. Though, hopefully, you'll waste vast amounts of energy in trying to escape. That way, it's all the more pathetic when you meet your end. That, and it will show you the true depths of your own helplessness when the consequences to a situation are placed squarely on your shoulders, even if they were not your fault. For that, my dear gentlemen, is what I like to refer to as the truth of the Domino Effect."

And with that, Heidegger ascended the stairs while Draco let loose a mighty roar of anger as he flung a mass of fireballs at the spot Heidegger disappeared. The blond gave up on magic, using the sword in his hands as he charged at the doors with a battle cry. Clashing metal against metal, Draco was flung back from the doors as they repelled his attack with greater force. Or at least, that is what Harry hypothesized as he saw Draco rolling on the floor before the blond quickly hopped to his feet.

"Heidegger! I'll kill you for this!" Draco roared in unbridled anger as Fred walked up to the door.

Fred poked at the door with his baton, but was knocked back by the same force Draco was as the redhead was sent skidding across the floor.

"Dammit," Fred growled, "Any attempt on the door repels us."

"And magic is useless in this place." Draco snarled, "Dammit! I will not allow this abysmal cavern to be my tome!"

"Perhaps…" Harry began as he moved to where the wooden trapdoor was. Gently reaching out for it, Harry found his fingers caught aflame as he quickly pulled them back from the dark blue fire. "Or perhaps not…" He closed his hand into a fist, snuffing out the flames.

"How the fuck are we gonna get outta here?" Fred asked as he eyed the doors warily. "Those doors sure as hell ain't the answer."

"Nor is this trapdoor." Harry said as Draco gave another yell.

"Useless man!" Draco boomed thunderously, "How dare he imprison me here against my will! When I get my hands on him…!"

"There has to be a way out of this." Harry said calmly as Fred nodded.

"Right, some kinda fail safe just in case he trapped the wrong person." Fred said as Draco scoffed darkly.

"I don't think _they_ agree with you on your idea, Turkey boy." Draco said darkly as he pointed behind Fred and into a corner of the room. Turning to the dark corner, Fred and Harry's gazes widened slightly as they took in the skeletons which had been swept away into the corner and left to amass as a small mound of human remains.

"Well shit…" Fred muttered as Harry allowed the shock to leave him as he gazed at the bones in disinterest.

"Well now, I didn't see that when we bought the place." Harry quipped, looking over at Draco, "Would you like to move out now, dear? Perhaps buy that nice villa up in-"

"This is not a time for your witty banter!" Draco yelled as Harry shrugged.

"Then would it please Your Highness if I played him a melody on the ribcage of one of the poor unfortunate souls which died here before us?" Harry asked sarcastically, moving to the pile of bones and gesturing to them.

Draco marched right up to him, a furious look on his face as he ripped one of the femur bones from the pile of deceased prisoners. Then Draco brandished the bone, waving it threatening in front of Harry's impassive face.

"Don't you get it?! We're trapped like disgusting rats within this, our literal, metaphoric, _and_ proverbial cage! That sickening man has imprisoned us here and not given a backward glance at his actions." with that, Draco harshly threw the bone at the trapdoor where it banged against the door before it clattered to the floor in flames. "HOW DARE HE!"

Harry turned from the outraged Draco, not wanting to panic just yet as they had been stuck in the prison for less than three minutes. As much as he wanted to make Heidegger pay for his most recent transgression against them, he didn't want to resort to anything that would cause him fall back into… old habits…

"Hmm," Harry lifted a dark brow as his gaze settled onto the flaming bone, "Well now, this is interesting."

"What?" Draco barked as Harry gestured to the bone.

"Don't you see. It's quite curious." Harry said as Draco narrowed his eyes even further.

"What is so interesting about a flaming bone. Given, if we weren't trapped in this disgusting place, it might be noteworthy, but seeing that we are; I don't give a damn."

"Wait a sec, Seph-man's right," Fred said, looking over the bone with a more critical look. "Yeah, yeah. I see what you're getting at now…"

"What?!" Draco bellowed, growing more agitated by the second while the two others remained calm.

"I know that your powers of attention are as wet as a warthog's backside," Harry said dryly as he glanced at Draco, whose blond brow was now twitching with barely contained anger, "but thick as you are; pay attention! My words are a matter of pride."

"And what exactly am I supposed to be seeing here?" Draco hissed as Harry almost rolled his eyes.

"The flames on the femur bone," Harry finally answered.

Draco took a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes. Regaining some semblance of casualness, Draco reopened his eyes and stared intently at the bone on fire in front of them.

And that was when he saw it.

"The flames… they haven't spread out…" Draco muttered in disbelief as Harry nodded.

"And why do you think, that is?" Harry asked, looking at the flames which were only at the prime end which connected to the knee joint.

"If the flames haven't spread, then that means only the part that hit the door are on fire." Draco said, a scheming glint in his stormy grey eyes, "And that means that the door is only spelled to burn only that which comes into direct contact with it."

"Indeed," Harry nodded as Fred grinned.

"That means Heidegger didn't account for the thieves before us, nor our discovery of this little fact." Fred said with a savage grin.

"Boys, we're going home." Draco said, mirroring Fred's grin, "But first…"

* * *

The three had finally reached the showcase before Draco promptly incinerated it with a massive fireball as he jumped through the hole he had created. Harry and Fred were quick to follow, landing in the dusty showroom as they glanced around for any sign of Heidegger.

"Where is that miserable twat?" Draco growled, "I'm in the mood for the use of firepower." and with those words, flames leapt into Draco's palm from out of nothingness while he held his rapier loftily against his shoulder.

"Outside." Fred pointed at the window, to where a light was shining in the distance. Draco didn't seem to care about stealth anymore as he rushed toward the window, shattering it as he leapt through without a care in the world except for satisfying his rage. Harry sighed as he and Fred followed the pissed off blond, not daring to stand in the way between that of the arrogant boy and his quarry.

"Heidegger!" Draco yelled for all the heavens to hear as he stalked across the tacky front yard and burned the hedges into crisps as he passed them, "Where are you, coward?"

"I don't think he'll respond to-" Harry started, but he was soon interrupted.

"So you escaped? And so soon?" Heidegger said impassively as he came from around the building, presenting himself in the same professional air as he did outside of his cavernous prison. "And exactly whom are you referring to as a coward? I have no reason to cower before the likes of you, Mr. Rhapsodos."

"I'll kill you!" Draco launched himself at the burly man, his sword raised high as his eyes gave off a bright blue glow which lit them like headlights in the darkness.

Heidegger again didn't budge an inch as Draco came barreling down on him. And then, as quick as a flash of lighting, Draco's blade was parried by another. Despite Draco's clear disbelief, Heidegger only raised an eyebrow as he found himself protected by a mysterious swordsman Harry didn't recognize. The man's hair was an unusual stark white, fashioned in an extremely spiky manner which stuck out in all directions at the front and sides and partially covered the right side his face. He was tall, and of a muscular build as well as his blue eyes, which held yellow rings around the pupils, glimmered with primal joy in the absence of moonlight. The man was scantily clad for such a breeze autumn night, with his upper body completely bare. He wore white pants tied with a black sash similar in appearance to what Harry saw of karate uniforms, and knee high boots adorned his feet.

"I believe a raise is in order, Mr. White." Heidegger said as the mysterious swordsman scowled while glancing back at his employer.

"How long must I tell you, Heidegger," the man said, his features calm, "I have no need nor want for the pitiful mortal currencies of this world. The only thing I want…" he began to push back against Draco, almost easily overpowering the enraged blond as he cast Draco a single glance before a crazed look overcame him, "IS THE THRILL OF BATTLE!"

"What on Gaia-?" Draco yelled in surprise as the man's strength increased two-fold within that single instance. Draco found himself pushed back and off balance as the crazed white-haired man changed the direction of his sword, raising it high before bringing it down with a maniac laughter.

CLANG!

The resounding reverb of steel clashing against steel echoed throughout the night as Draco found no pain bursting through him. Opening eyes he had shut to better handle the pain that had been to come, Draco was caught off-guard once again by the sight before him.

Somehow having moved from Fred's side at least a dozen meters behind the skirmish, and having gotten between the two brawlers was Harry, He stood there, a stony expression on his face as his fabled six-foot long blade, the legendary Masamune, was held loftily in a reverse grip within Harry's left hand high above Harry's head. The blade was clashed against the white-haired man's sword, the two shooting sparks every few moments as they grind against each other. The white-haired man seemed to greatly enjoy the fact that Harry had stopped him from cleaved Draco in two as a large wolfish grin spread across his face.

"This sword… this blade… ITS BEEN TOO LONG!" the man said, at first an eerie calm before he burst into hysterics as he began to hack and slash at Harry, who was as natural with Masamune as he was with breathing air. As soon as the man had geared back for a second strike, Harry had let go of the blade, allowing gravity to drive the point into the ground before he made a swirling motion with his hands, retaking the sword in his right hand as he parried the battle-crazed man's slash. Then Harry switched hands again, though this time the sword remained in his left as his glowing emerald eyes followed the motions of his more practiced and physically superior opponent.

And faster as well, Harry was finding as he was barely able to deflect strikes away from himself while the white-haired swordsmen simply kept coming. He had even been able to draw his second sword in the time Harry had been about to counterattack. This foe had caught them at the clear disadvantage of their being severely out of practice. Draco had leapt back as soon as the second sword was drawn, showing that he knew Harry would have to take the man seriously despite Harry's calm and calculative appearance. The man's style seemed brash and headstrong while Harry fought with an instinctive passion he would have much rather stay buried deep within the pits of his soul. As the tempo of the battle increased, so did Harry's footing in the battle until the two were almost evenly matched. His crazed opponent was definitely fast, but not so much so that Harry, who in the past life had been breed for battle, could not keep up.

Suddenly, the man's sadistic grin broke into a frown as he clashed his two swords heavily against Harry, forcing the younger swordsman to use both hands on his sword's hilt just to keep himself from being overwhelmed by the man's superior strength. Strength, speed, and overall physical advantage were on the man's side, but luckily Harry still had remnants of his training.

Remnants of that which he had been born for once upon a time.

"Che, dammit… Looks like it's over," the white-haired man said as Harry scowled at him. Sweat dotted his forehead and his breath came out in ragged gasps, but he wasn't done just yet. Even with the bleeding superficial wounds along his forearms and legs, Harry was sure he could still fight. Wiping away the blood from the thin cut along his right cheek, he figured he could probably go another three to five minutes before needing any breathers or assistance in the skirmish. His blood was almost boiling to continue the battle, as loathed as he was to admit it, the innermost depths of his soul ached and craved the depravity of a good fought battle.

Before Harry could give this information in the form of some witty retort, the fierce chopping of a helicopter came down upon them as it hovered a couple dozen meters above the mansion grounds.

"Come along, Mr. White." Heidegger said as he looked to have grown bored with their display of talented sword-wielding. "We have business to attend to."

"Go on then, and leave." the crazed white-haired man, known as Mr. White spat before giving Harry a feral look. "Meanwhile, I'm gonna-"

"Leave as well…" a voice broke through as the sound of a mechanism in the shadows of the mansion caught everyone's attention. Turning to the building, shock filled the air as George of all people calmly stepped out of the mansion's shadow with a powerful handgun in his hand and darkly tinted sunglasses covering his eyes with their ruby lenses. "Now."

For added incentive, George fired off a few rounds aimed at Mr. White, who almost lazily deflected the bullets. The man looked as though he were bored with the new presence already. Then George gave a warning shot at Heidegger's person as the man was climbing the rope ladder which descended from the helicopter almost as soon as Harry had become aware of its presence. George made his intent clear as Mr. White gave a barely suppressed groan of irritation before leaping just below Heidegger as the man quickly scaled the ladder after he was almost shot. And just for kicks Harry supposed, George shot at the fleeing duo some more as Heidegger barked for the aircraft to get moving.

* * *

"Why are you missing?" Draco demeaned as George's shots continued to chase the biplane. "I want that chopper blown out the sky, and Heidegger's head mounted on my wall!"

"We have secured our objective," George said, adjusting his shades as he turned to Draco, "The mission is complete. The Director's orders are to return to base immediately."

"No, fuck you!" Draco said, quite crudely in his temper. Harry found it highly amusing. "I swear to the Goddess if you don't get us a helicopter to follow them, I will become the bane of your nightmares."

"Listen up, Princess." Fred said, making his way over to them with Harry, "Our mission here was only to reclaim your precious stick. Now, we're going back to base. There, you can shove that thing up your ass as much as you want, and fuck yourself hoarse for all we care. What you do on your own time is none of our business. But orders are orders."

"What did you just say, you-" Draco was bristling with anger and indignation as he rounded on Fred, who kept grinning despite how obviously afraid of Draco he was at the moment. Harry felt that he should, however, intervene before Fred ended up a part of the next Headless hunt, and Draco went to Azkaban where he would constantly send Harry letters about how sub-par the service was and how much he wanted his rapier back with him after having only just reacquiring it.

"I think we've done enough for today," Harry said as his sword left his grip for the Lifestream. "Dealing with Heidegger and his mysterious lapdog Mr. White will have to wait for another day."

"But, I want-" Draco whined angrily as Harry cut him off before he could get into it.

"And until then, you'll have ample amount of time in making Heidegger's death all the more exquisitely painful, slow, and violent." Harry offered, applying to Draco's mean streak of vengeance and torture on those he perceived having done him wrong.

If the arrogant grin was any indication, Draco was greatly appeased with the thought of planning out the next encounter. Tossing his hair back arrogantly over his shoulders, Draco raised his head highly as he started toward the golden gates.

"Well, come on. Back to base, people." Draco called snappishly, "I have planning to get to, and a shower to take." then Draco turned his attention to the sword he had absentminded clutched in his right hand, cooing softly to it. "Then I'm gonna clean and polish you, my little baby. That bastardious Heidegger didn't take care of you at all, now did he?"

Harry gave a sigh of exhaustion mingled with a sense of foreboding. Somehow, appeasing Draco now would only come back to bite him in the end. Harry knew it to be true as he watched the blond carve apart the gates at the entrance before stepping over his mess with a slight bounce in his swaggerous step.

Harry could only hope that no one bothered Draco during his alone time with his sword. Because much like Fred, Harry felt that Draco would be practically pleasuring himself to, with, or on his sword with the way he was fawning over the blade now.

Minerva, Harry could only hope the thoughts weren't based in factual information…

As they made their way toward the little hillside town's forest, Harry found his features morphing from impassionate to that of a severe scowl. Slowly but steadily, the encounter was leaving a bitter aftertaste as Harry turned it over in his mind's eye. He absentmindedly flicked the now dried blood from his closing cheek wound while keeping pace with Fred and George behind Draco. His forearms itched as the cuts sealed themselves. It truly had been a while since he had a good hard-fought battle.

One thing was certain if such encounters began more commonplace once time wore onward: They were all in _dire_ need of preparation.

* * *

**GREAT! Now we've seen, to some extent, Harry and the others ability at this point. While they are not any physically stronger than they were before they started remembering their incarnation, they do however have the instinctual cognition on how to do what they are best at and what they greatly favored in their last life.**

**As you've probably guessed, Harry was only able to stand up to the peculiarly crazed Mr. White because the primal swords master within him, known exclusively as Sephiroth, was beginning to "leak out" and show itself as the battle progressed. Naturally, Harry hated it but it was the only way for him not to be cut down and how he was protecting his friends from Mr. White pressing any advantage he might have had. If the battle would have gone forward and escalated, then Harry would have eventually lost in a grandly epic confrontation, but he might have been able to take Mr. White with him. None the less, he only drew his sword and fought that time because he needed to protect his friends, something both identities within him (Harry and Sephiroth) would willfully do until their last breath. However, Harry does not wish to fight for battle's sake where Sephiroth might fight to prove himself superior and to enjoy the battle, hence Harry's like for the "anticlimactic"**.


	9. For the Electric Company!

_**General A/N**_**: Okay good people, I know its been AGES since I last updated, but here it is! Chapter Nine of this story. And don't worry. I'd like you guys to spread the word that this bus don't stop, because a lot of other updates will start hitting the screen real soon!**

_**Specific A/N**_**: Okay so, it seems that we've finally gotten to the second arc of the story: The Militarization Arc. This is where the reluctant are called upon to pick up their swords, characters will be revealed as both old and new, and the silent war is now being waged on **_**four**_** fronts. And just so we can keep up with the characters, here's a list:**

**Harry Potter: Sephiroth**

**Ron Weasley: Angeal Hewley**

**Hermione Granger: ?**

**Draco Malfoy: Genesis Rhaposodos**

**Ginny Weasley: Cissinei**

**Fred and George Weasley: Reno & Rude**

**Severus Snape: Tseng**

**Neville Longbottom: Zack Fair**

**Luna Lovegood: Elena**

**Cho Chang: ?**

**Colin Creevey: ?**

**Susan Bones: ?**

**(? = Because I hinted at them being reborn, if anyone's memory needs refreshing)**

**AND STILL MORE SUPRISES TO COME!**

**Chapter 9: For the Electric Company!**

* * *

"You don't understand, Clou-" a gentle female voice pleaded before an enraged male interrupted.

"No! _You_ _two_ don't understand!" the male snapped, "Things are different this time around! There is no danger, no one's causing bad things to happen behind the scenes! We're safe this time around, and you need to get over the past!"

"But Cloud, we-" another girl called with patience.

"Don't call me that! That's _not_ my name!" the boy snarled, and with a heated glare, abandoned the two girls in who were left gaping in his wake.

"How could he…" the younger girl started in disbelief before her expression turned to one of utter annoyance, "be so stupid?!"

"I don't know," the older one muttered with a shake of her head, "Hopefully he'll wake up and see that this isn't some fairytale where everything ends up nicely in a cute little bow-tied ribbon."

"So, what're we gonna do about Sephiroth being back around?" the younger girl asked as the older one sighed.

"I'm not sure…" the older female confessed with a hand raking through her long dark hair, "but we need to get help in order to take him down. He's not hurting anyone this time around!"

"Right!" the younger one agreed readily.

"I think I know who Barret is, but its kind of a stretch." the long haired girl said, making the gesture with her hands.

"Oh yeah, who?" the shorter girl inquired as the older one bent slightly to whisper it in her ear. The girl's eyes grew wide as her mouth hung open. "Oh, no damn way!"

"Yeah, I think it is." the elder of the two said with a nod as the younger continued to gape.

"But… he… now-"

"Yup."

"But… how…?" the older girl shrugged to the younger one's question.

"Minerva moves in mysterious ways sometimes…" she offered lamely as the younger gave her a deadpan, but then, the shorter girl began to giggle.

"Ohh, when he finds out after his awakening!" she said with barely contained amusement. The older shook her head with a sigh while crossing her arms.

"Lets hope he doesn't find a machine gun beforehand…" the older muttered as she began taking the path that their male cohort had stormed down. The younger followed her, in so good a mood that she began to half-skip after the long dark haired girl.

"I hope he does. Hogwarts is so boring this year with Toad Woman around," the younger sighed with much drama.

"I'm sure once Sephiroth shows his true colors…" the older girl's face took on a dark determined look as she palmed her fist with a thunderous clap, "we'll have all the excitement we need."

"Can I bring out the pointy guns when we confront him?" the younger, more bubbly, girl asked with barely contained excitement as she stood on her tip-toes while giving her cutest puppy look.

"… Hmm… maybe…" the calmer of the two offered with half a shrug as she flipped her long hair over her right shoulder, exposing the pink ribbon she had tied to her bicep.

"Hmm… Do you think we can talk to his friends?" the bubbly one asked, calming down now that she was serious.

"Whose friends? Sephiroth's?" the long-haired one probed as the shorter nodded.

"Yeah, they seem like sensible people."

"Well, they're sharp ones too." the older girl assured with a severe look. "Don't let your guard down around them. One of them is the person that taught Zack Fair. In fact, one of them _is_ Zack Fair."

"Ohh! When I get my hands on that dumb-faced jerk!" the younger promised with stamping of her feet and huffing.

"Yeah, but don't go flying off the handle just yet." the more mature girl advised. "Hermione seems like the most sensible one out of the group. I'm not even sure if she's a reincarnated one. At first she was just a smart girl, but now there's this motherly aura about her…"

"Do you think she's-?"

"Maybe, but lets hope not." the older girl cut off swiftly, afraid of what such an answer could mean for both them and Hermione.

"Well, what do we do then, Tiff?" the younger asked as the older sighed once more.

"I'm not sure, Yuffie, but we'll need to bid our time." this Tiff answered with a thoughtful look. Then suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head as she hurriedly cast a look at the girl Yuffie. "Hey, didn't Hermione invite us to a thing in Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, she did!" Yuffie answered, quickly catching on.

"Well then," Tiff said, a smirk overtaking her features as she placed a hand on her jutted out hip, "we best not be rude. Acceptance is the first step to a budding new friendship."

"Have I ever told you how we might secretly related?"

* * *

"Again!" a voice boomed as a body was thrown halfway across the room in a rolling heap.

The rolling heap sprang up quickly, the sword in the wielder's hand being brought back into the ready position. Grasping the hilt with two firm hands, the person's sky blue eyes widened in shock when the sword shattered like glass to reveal the severed broomstick it had been conjured from. The person, a young male, dropped to his knees in pure exhaustion while sweat lightly glistened from his forehead. His breathing was labored, but still he tried hard to gasp out his words in an effort to not show total weakness.

"Angeal… we gotta stop…" the boy wheezed as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, "You're killing me, man…"

"Not yet I'm not," Ron returned as he walked over on sore legs, standing in front of the kneeling Neville proudly with a large broadsword easily held across his shoulders while one hand rested loosely on the hilt to keep it balanced in such a position. "Now get up. If you have time to complain, you have time to train yourself out of the chubby meat sack you are now."

"I'm trying man, okay?!" Neville argued as he clamored clumsily to his feet, using the broomstick for support. "I'm sorry if I'm not some image of muscle like you or the twins!"

"Calm down, will ya?" Ron breathed, giving Neville an almost deadpan expression. But Neville saw it, the small glimmer of apology in Angeal's eyes that twinkled like a star in the distance. Angeal just didn't have a poker face, no matter how hard the guy tried.

"Just gimme a minute, 'kay?" Neville huffed, taking in large gulps of air. Ron gave a sigh as he allowed the large broadsword to flip from his shoulders. But right before it pierced the ground, the giant sword shattered to reveal a sickly looking twig with tattered leaves.

"Oh man… you're really good at this magic stuff, Angeal…" Neville wheezed. Ron shrugged his broad shoulders.

"It's just like this; practice." Ron assured before going on, "Besides, everything I've learned is mostly thanks to Hermione's help, Zack. That's why we're here; to help you."

"I know, I know." Neville assured with a pointed glance at Ron, who had barely broken a sweat tossing him around for the past hour. "I'm outta shape and need a diet program."

"Actually… that's not really it," Ron revealed reluctantly after a pause. Neville looked up at him quickly, wondering what else it could be.

"It's true; you aren't in the best of shape." Ron agreed making Neville's shoulders sag, "But," to which Neville's hopes rose, "its also because of what happened a few days ago, and at the first Quidditch practice almost two weeks ago."

"You mean-" Neville breathed as Ron nodded firmly.

"Yes," Ron confirmed, "we're here to see what extremes we need recreate in order to draw out your latent energies. The very same energies you used to survive a sixty foot fall and walk away without a scratch."

"Whoa…" Neville gasped, almost as though he didn't believe a word Ron said.

"A few days ago, Harry returned from detention." Ron said, though the way he stretched 'detention' was almost as though he knew that wasn't the case, "When he got back, it was around midnight, and he had a few scratches. I asked him where he got them from, and he replied that he obtained them on a late night stroll with Genesis."

"So those two have been train-"

"Not so fast." Ron interrupted the excitable boy, "No, they weren't out training. The three of us have been through too much for them not to have included me in on that. However, Genesis did get his precious sword back, so there's the reason."

"So they _were_ out training!" Neville exclaimed, connecting the dots.

"Didn't I say not to be so quick to jump to conclusions." Ron scolded, crossing his arms over his expansive chest. "They obviously went out to reclaim the sword, but ran into a problem. Harry promised to have the three of us sit down and talk about it later today, but Genesis has been spending the last few days of his free time trapped in his dorm room. Never the least, we'll talk about it."

"So what _did_ happen when they went out?" Neville asked, giving Ron very curious look. Ron shook his head, scarcely suppressing his grin. Honestly, the boy really was just a puppy at heart…

"Like I said; they must have run into a bit of trouble. But that's not the point," at this, Neville looked very curious while Ron's expression hardened.

"The point is the way Harry carried himself when he got back. He had a few scratches, yes, but he stood strongly, almost proudly. He walked straighter, his pace was more firm and less flustered than before. His expression was casual instead of the bored one he always wore since we got to Hogwarts. Then there was the glow in his eyes."

"The glow?" Neville echoed in bewilderment, "But that's natural. It's been happening for a while now. You said so yourself before this session."

"That I did," and with that said Ron's mouth turned to frown, "But with Harry's glow… it was still there this morning."

"Huh?" now Neville was truly confused.

The glowing in their eyes was supposed to be only when they were remembering things, or using their latent powers. Hell, it could even come when they were experiencing a particularly strong emotion. For the glow in Harry's eyes to remain must have meant something to Angeal , who had his face all drawn up the way it was. Angeal's face always got all scrunched up that way when he was thinking on something particularly hard. The question was; was Angeal thinking this was a good thing or a bad thing? Really, that's all that mattered to Neville.

"That glow remaining brings a whole new wave of questions to mind," Ron announced to Neville, who stood up a bit straighter at the tone of Angeal's voice. "It could mean that the glow will be permanent after a battle… but as we can see here…"

Ron gestured around the room they were sparring within. It was torn apart from floor to ceiling. Sections and chunks of stone were blown apart, or just scorched black while other parts had slash marks through them or hole piercings.

"… that is not the case. If the glowing stayed because of such an action, then the battle would have to be between two who didn't know the outcome, or even two completely uninhibited people. So many possibilities…"

"Yeah, and they're making my head spin, Angeal." Neville admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

"No matter," Ron announced, ignoring Neville's comment in favor of dismissing whatever science mumbo-jumbo was running through his mind, "for now, all we have to worry about is getting you in shape and seeing if we can't jump-start things a little."

With that said, Ron stuck out his right hand, the twig jumping to it. As soon as the branch made contact with his palm, it transformed from a sickly twig into a shiny broadsword. Ron swung it around a few times, testing the weight of such a heavy-looking weapon before he grinned, holding it in the ready position and doing so one-handed.

Neville gave a sigh as he brandished his broomstick once more. With a bit of concentration on his part, Neville's broomstick slowly turned its shape into that of a shiny new standard sword. He slashed the newly created blade through the air, enjoying the gentle hum it created as it dispersed air molecules around him. While he might not be a big-worded smart guy, Neville could appreciate the finer aspects of his former studies on magic and materia.

"Ready for round two, Pup?" Ron inquired, giving a brief smirk as Neville nodded, returning the smirk with one of his own.

"Oh yeah! Lets see you take this!" and with that, Neville launched himself at a highly amused Ron, who gave a bark of laughter as he slashed upward, driving Neville into the air when their blades briefly clashed right before Neville was thrown backward by Ron's superior strength.

"_Damn him_…" Neville grunted mentally as he regained himself and flipped to the floor, landing in a crouch, "_How does he do that? He's normal right now, so he can't be that much stronger than me. And yet, he's been throwing me around for the past hour or so. Oh well… No time to think now! Only time to go with the flow_!"

"Bring it on!" Neville shouted as he ran back toward his former mentor. There was no time for words. Only actions remained between the two warriors on their battlefield.

* * *

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright but windy. After breakfast they queued up in front of Filch, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardian to visit the village. With the slightest lament, Harry remembered that if it hadn't been for Sirius, he would not have been going at all.

When Harry reached Filch, the caretaker gave a great sniff as though trying to detect a whiff of something from Harry. Then he gave a curt nod that set his jowls aquiver again and Harry walked on without another wasted moment, out onto the stone steps and the cold, sunlit day.

"What's with Filch?" Seamus Finnegan asked, hurrying after Harry with Dean Thomas at his side.

"Yeah, why was he sniffing you?" Dean inquired as well.

"I suppose he was checking for the smell of Dungbombs," Harry replied, a small smirk on his face while Ron shook his head up ahead and Hermione sighed. Seamus and Dean were having trouble keeping up with the brisk pace in which the three friends set off at once they were all down the wide drive to the gates.

"Huh? But why?" Seamus questioned, forcing Harry to recount the tale of his sending off a letter Filch's bursting in moments later, demanding to see the letter.

"I still want to know who could have possibly tipped Filch off to your sending out a letter." Hermione said with a glance back at Harry. Ron and she were walking in front of Harry, who strolled down the path in front of Seamus and Dean.

"Might've been Malfoy," Seamus suggested, "He'd be the type to get a laugh out of it."

"Maybe once upon a time," Ron muttered, shaking his head, "but now he's more into grandstanding. He'd do something with a bit more flare to it than that."

"What about our theory from before?" Harry inquired disinterestedly, though the sharp look his eyes took on did not go unnoticed.

"Umbridge seems to be the only logical suspect," Hermione agreed, "But until further evidence is presented, we must keep our options open."

"Agreed," Harry and Ron breathed in unison while Seamus and Dean watched on as the three friends appeared to be even more in sync than usual.

And that was saying something.

The group of five walked between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars and turned left on to the road into the village, the wind whipping their hair into their eyes. All except for Dean, who wore his hair extremely short.

Silence reigned over them all the way into the outskirts of Hogsmeade, two members of the party deep in thought while two others seemed awkward in the silence. The last lone member enjoyed the silence as it was peacefully dull.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Harry asked in a slow purr as he came out of his tranquility to inquire as to their destination. "The Three Broomsticks? Because if so, then I'm not going in."

"Oh no," Hermione said, coming out of her reverie, "The place is always packed with people, and it's really noisy in there. We've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub." at Harry's delicate brow arch, Hermione gestured minutely, "You know the one, it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit… you know… dodgy… but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."

"Well," Harry drawled after a moment of thought, "if we're holding some form of meeting, then I would have to begrudgingly admit that it would be safer in the noisily bustling Three Broomsticks since it's harder to overhear somebody in a crowded room."

"I would, too," Ron said, casting a glance over his shoulder at Harry, "but not for the numbers we have."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it would draw suspicious if a lot of people met together in a place as popular as the Three Broomsticks." Ron alleged. Harry shrugged dispassionately as they walked down the main street.

Harry peeked to the side, seeing in the back alleys past Zonko's Wizarding Joke Shop, were Fred, George and Ginny all with Lee Jordan . They seemed to be carrying heavy craters of metal wires and other things. Harry allowed his gaze to waver from them and whatever activities they were up to under Tseng-Snape's command. From his peripheral vision, Harry saw several nondescript black suit-wearing people roaming the back alleys and shadows in the wake of the known Turk agents as well as a few mulling atop roofs and watching their movements like mother Chocobo. No matter, they were merely flying that he needn't worry about since they too were under Tseng-Snape's orders.

Returning his sight to the main street, Harry saw they were passing the post office, from which owls issued at regular intervals before they turned up a side-street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture on it of a wild boar's severed head, leaking blood onto the white cloth around it. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached.

All five of them hesitated outside the door.

"Well now, that's interesting," Harry commented as Ron scowled while crossing his arms.

"It's sorta revolting," Ron sneered lightly as Seamus shrugged.

"I think it adds character, yeah?" Seamus said to Dean, nudging his taller friend. Dean, however, looked slightly nervous about entering.

"Yeah, mate." Dean said slowly, "Loads of… loads of morale fiber going on here…"

"Well, there's no since waiting out in the wind," Hermione said promptly, using a hand to take her hair from out of her face to behind her ear.

"Right you are," Harry agreed easily enough, leading the way in.

As they glanced around the establishment, all five could tell that this place was a stark contrast in comparison to the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats.

The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be compressed earth, though as Harry stepped onto it, he realized that there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of a past few centuries.

Harry scantily recalled Hagrid mentioning this pub from his first year.

"_Yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hogs Head_…" Hagrid had said, explaining how he had won a dragon's egg from a hooded stranger within this very rundown establishment.

Thinking on it now and even back then at the time of the story, Harry had wondered why Hagrid had not found it odd that the stranger kept his face hidden throughout their encounter. Now he saw that keeping your face hidden was something of a fashion in the Hog's Head. There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty grey bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endless glasses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth. Glancing over to his left, Harry saw two figures shrouded in hoods sat at a table in one of the windows. He might have thought them to be badly made Dementors… well, if not for how they were talking in strong Yorkshire accents. And in a shadowy corner beside the fireplace sat a witch with a thick, black veil that fell to her ragged heels. He could just make out the tip of her nose because it caused the veil to protrude slightly.

"I really don't know about this…" Dean muttered as he stood beside Seamus, both of whom made an attempt to hide behind the fairly built Ron Weasley.

"Anyone of these people could be a spy," Harry said, glancing to his side where Hermione stepped forward, "Now don't you think the Three Broomsticks would be better?"

"Yeah, at least no one would know what was said, Hermione." Dean piped up as Seamus slapped his arm.

"Come on, mate." Seamus said, gesturing around, "Loads of moral fiber. Remember?"

"I think I'm about to show you moral-" but Dean was interrupted when Hermione raised a hand to quiet him, a gesture that went obeyed even while she was still not facing him.

"I have double- no, _triple_ checked the rules." Hermione said softly, a gentle glow in her eyes as they moved further within the bar. "We are allowed here, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop us."

"Yes, but," Harry purred as he leaned down to whisper in Hermione's ear, "has it occurred to you Umbridge might be under that?" Harry said, pointing discretely at the heavily veiled witch.

Hermione cast an appraising eye over the veiled figure, then a sharp glance up at Harry as he smirked down at her.

"Enough of your jokes, Harry." Hermione said sternly, "Besides, Umbridge is shorter than that woman." she added quietly.

"Alright," Harry said dryly, "But I still don't believe it a good idea that we parade what we're doing. Asking numerous people to meet us here is nothing short of attracting attention. It simply occurred to me that a bunch of school teens coming into a dump like this is hardly making things inconspicuous."

"My place may be a dump, but at least I'm not so rude as to make such callous comments aloud when owner of said establishment is within spitting distance." a voice grunted throatily as Harry and the others looked forward to see the barman sidling towards them out of a back room. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar to Harry. The familiarity of such appearance making Harry's good mood turn sour and his mouth drop into a frown.

"So, what'll have?" the grumpy old man grunted.

"Five Butterbeers, if you'd please," said Hermione, giving a small bow of grace. "And please, ignore my friend's remarks. He has a sharp tongue and wit which he can't seem to keep to himself."

"Indeed," Harry added as Seamus, Dean and Ron went to get a table, "It's a problem I've yet to rectify because I seem so distracted making smart-aleck barbs."

The man grunted once more, going behind the bar counter and reaching beneath it. When his hand became visible once again from it's journey below, the appendage held up three very dusty, very dirty bottles, which the elderly man slammed on top the bar.

"Twelve Sickles," the man said, ignoring Harry completely aside from a passing narrow-eyed look.

"I'll get them," Harry said, giving the old man a smirk as he held out a galleon for the barman to take. The man's eyes traveled over Harry, resting for a fraction of a second on his scar.

"Well now, ain't that somethin'…" the old barkeep muttered before turning away, depositing Harry's single gold coin in an ancient wooden till whose drawer slid open automatically to receive it. Harry waited to receive his change, but the old man went on about his business, so Harry shrugged and walked away after collecting the five bottles.

Harry was seriously beginning to like the Hog's Head tavern. It truly did have character.

With the bottles in hand, Harry moved over to the table his friends had gathered at, one he noticed was the furthest table from the bar. He sat down, looking around as Seamus and Dean quickly snatched up a bottle each, but looked disgusted when they found them rusty and aged. The man in the dirty grey bandages rapped the counter with his knuckles and received another smoking drink from the barman.

"You know what?" Seamus murmured while looking over at the bar with enthusiasm. "We could order anything we liked in here. I bet that old guy would sell us anything and he wouldn't even care."

"You're probably right." Ron agreed as he took up a bottle.

"If you're thinking of trying anything stronger than you are at present," Hermione began as she handed her bottle to Ron, who opened it easily, "Then please remember that you're with two Prefects at the current time."

"Oh," Dean said, the smile fading from his face. "Yeah…"

"So, who did you say is to be meeting us?" Harry asked, wrenching open the rusty top of his own Butterbeer and taking a swig. Hmm, aged good like a fine wine…

"You know," Hermione muttered, making a vague hand gesture, "Just a few people."

"Which means more then you'd care to be expecting," Ron chuckled as Harry scoffed.

"As I've said before," Harry shrugged, "I'm not expecting much."

"Then you'll be in for a surprise…" Dean mumbled into his drink after using his cloak to clean the opening.

Five minutes passed in pleasant conversation as the five friends drank and spoke, mostly making observations on the bar and Harry's lack of interest in the number he expected to be in the lows.

Hermione checked her wristwatch, nodding to herself as she steeped her hands atop the table, "I told them to be here about now and I'm sure they all know where it-" with a quick glance out the dirty window, Hermione hummed, "Oh, look, this might be them now."

The door of the pub had opened. A thick band of dusty sunlight split the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the incoming rush of a crowd of people.

First came Neville with Luna, who was followed by Lavender Brown and the Patil twins. Directly after them were Cho Chang, who walked in confidently with a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait down her back whose name Harry could not connect with her enthusiastic face whilst a rather flustered-looking Colin Creevey was shoved inside the bar right behind them by his younger brother, Dennis Creevey. Then came in Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and a very brutish Angelina Johnson.

Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley swaggered in with Hannah Abbott. Behind them came another Hufflepuff girl with three Ravenclaw boys he was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner and Terry Boot. Ginny, closely followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose whom Harry recognized vaguely as being a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team came in to the dusty bar while the twins Fred and George brought up the rear with their friend Lee Jordan, all three of whom were now carrying large paper bags crammed with Zonko's merchandise.

"Isn't Dennis Creevey a Second-year student?" Harry asked as Hermione nodded.

"Yes, but someone must have helped him along." the calm girl replied after taking a sip from her drink.

"And this is your idea of a few people?" Harry inquired dryly as he gestured to the crowd that was still pouring in now that he glanced back at them.

"Well," Hermione sniffed, "You won't believe us when we said how many were interested."

"I still don't believe you," Harry sighed, "How many of these poor dullards have you bribed?"

"None so far, and I'd like to keep it that way." Hermione answered dutifully.

"Yeah," Ron snorted, crossing his arms as Neville came to sit beside him while Ginny and the twins took up other spots at the table, "We don't have much money anyway, Mr. Moneybags."

"Well for all my money is worth," Harry purred, glancing over at the bar counter, "I don't think even a bag of galleons could get that expression on the old man."

The others looked over to where Harry's line of sight was, seeing that the old barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed.

"It's quite possible he's never seen his pub so full." Luna commented as she moved forward to stand behind Ginny and the twins.

"Nah, just not so full of students, yo." Fred winked.

"So there are around thirty people, including myself, in this little group." Harry said, a small smirk on his face, "And you've even gotten a fair amount of people from the other houses too."

"Yes, Commander." Luna expressed dutifully as she stood at attention, "Right now there are seven Ravenclaws including myself, seven Hufflepuffs and sixteen Gryffindors including all present at this executive table."

"Aye! Oi, Aberforth!" Fred shouted, rapping his hand on the table as he leaned his chair back on its hind legs, "Lets get some drinks for these people, yo! All on Harry, man! Twenty-seven Butterbeers!"

The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty Butterbeers from under the bar. Harry gave one of the Ravenclaws he didn't know the golden coins to pay the old barkeep.

"You've ordered two more than necessary," Harry remarked casually as Fred took the two extras, kicking back once again as he chugged one of the three drinks down like there was no tomorrow before answering.

"I'm feelin' extra thirsty, yo." Fred shrugged as Harry gave him an annoyed once over, but smirked none the less.

Harry watched dispassionately as the large chattering group took their beers from the countertop as they were produced, some rummaging through their robes to present Harry with coins as repayment, to which Harry allowed to clatter atop the table untouched while they dropped them in front of him. Fred wasted no time in collecting the coins as the last kid came forth. Fred thanked them all cheekily for their generous contribution to the charity that was him and his wants. Others looked at Harry for his reaction, but were sorely disappointed that Harry found his nails more interesting that a friend stealing money that was by all rights his to take.

"Well now," Harry finally spoke after everyone was settled in, "shall we get on with this… study group, as you called it?"

Hermione said nothing at first as they rearranged their seating so that they faced the crowd like a panel of superior executives giving a meeting on product production. Harry found it rather distasteful that he was made to be center attraction with Hermione and Ron at his sides, but said nothing of it when Hermione whispered to him, "You don't have to do anything just yet. Ron and I will address them all first."

In rows of three and four, the new arrivals settled in front of the table. Some like Colin Creevey were looking rather flustered and excited as they sat in the rows while others like Luna stood off to the side up against the walls with a thoroughly detached expression, seeming as though to stand guard on the off chance someone would be assassinated. When all were seated or standing guard, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry as he sat back in his chair, his arms crossed over his middle while his expression revealed nothing but disinterest to anything that was within his line of sight.

* * *

"Attention," Hermione called for, her voice steadily calm as her tone quieted whatever whispers had been passing. The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry.

"Good day to you all. I would just like to start by saying that you all know why you're here." Hermione said as she stood gracefully from her chair, despite the cramped space in which they were seated, "Some of you came because you heard the idea that we wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts. Some came because they simply dislike the way Umbridge handles classes. Others came," it was here that Hermione gave a sign cant look to a few in the crowd, but the look passed so quickly that Harry couldn't be sure whom she had truly focused upon, "because you wanted to help in taking matters into our own hands."

Hermione paused, looking sideways at Harry and Ron before moving on, "And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spells, and real prac-"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" said Michael Corner, who was watching her closely.

"Be silent while an Executive is speaking." Luna said sternly, to which Michael and some others rounded on her, but at her cold look, they quickly turned back in their seats and bowed their heads as Luna moved back to stand behind the panel. Harry allowed himself a tiny smirk as his eyes left his fingernails and moved to glance over the crowd.

"More so than that," Hermione regained control of the room gently and fluently as soon as Luna was in place, "I want us to be properly trained in defense because Lord Voldemort has indeed returned, Michael."

"And here comes the shutters…" Harry muttered as he returned his apathetic gaze to his fingernails.

Undeniably the reaction was immediate and predictable, Ron and the others at the table found. A girl with curly red hair who had followed Cho's group in earlier shrieked and slopped Butterbeer down herself. Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch. Padma Patil shuddered, and Michael Corner gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.

"Bastard…" Neville muttered, clenching his fist tightly at his side.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it, so-" Hermione began, but was interrupted.

"No, you mean Dumbledore believes _him_," said the blond boy corrected nodding at Harry who lifted a brow. But Ron reacted first, leaning forward on what was deemed the Executive table between Hermione and Neville.

"Who are you?" Ron inquired, trying hard to keep his tone pleasant but still coming off as rather rude.

"I am Zacharias Smith," the Hufflepuff said as he proudly displayed his house robes, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's come back."

"And what gives you that right, worm?" Ginny asked coldly as another voice arose from the back.

"Well, we're here to hear him out, yeah?" it sounded like it might have been Colin, but Harry saw that Dennis' lips were the ones moving. "I mean, we all came because we don't like Umbridge, but we're staying because we want to hear him out and make our decision."

Ginny looked visibly deflated, probably not expecting such a thought-out response. "Hmm… That sort of makes sense… Though Smith is still an annoying prat." Ginny smirked at the end of this to the chuckles and giggles her comment was rewarded.

"I'll take that, but we still want and deserve answers," Zacharias said, though didn't look happy to be laughed at.

"Look," Hermione said, intervening swiftly and regaining control and attention, "we understand your concerns and inquiries. However, that's really not what this initial meeting was supposed to be about, and-"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry spoke for the first time, the entire tavern falling to deathly silence as the murmured words left his lips in a suave purr of both amusement and reluctance. He stood tall from his chair, watching as all eyes followed him until he stood at full height with Ron and Hermione seating themselves neatly once he was on his feet.

"It has occurred to me that some, if not most of you, have come here today in the hopes of hearing my story firsthand." Harry announced to his attentive audience as not one dared breath too loudly, for fear of missing a single word. "You have my apologizes then, because I should have foreseen such a situation coming."

Harry glanced around the bar, taking in each face as he smoothly articulated every word which left his mouth. He had learned time and again that public speaking was a powerful thing to master. He glanced up at Aberforth, who had stopped pretending to clean in order to focus all his attention on Harry's speech.

"You all wonder what makes me say that Voldemort…" here Harry paused as nearly all of his audience winced upon hearing the name of the darkest of Dark Lords to date. Harry allowed his gaze to settle directly on Zacharias. "… has returned? The answer is simple: I have seen him first-hand. I battled him the night of the Third Task last year."

Harry still stared at Zacharias, though gave a small smile and shrugged nonchalantly.

"However, Dumbledore told the entire school this before we departed last year. Believe what you will, for I am not here to waste away an afternoon trying to convince anyone of anything. But do know this." Harry cast an especially sharp look around, a few of people shuddering under his emerald gaze. "I am not a crazy attention-seeking liar. If you wish to call me anything, call me uninterested. I don't care what you all think. I don't care what you all say. In fact, I care very little for any of you here in the first and last place. The only thing that strikes my interest at the moment is for you all to know the truth. I don't care about rumors nor what our magical government says. All I care for are facts. Voldemort lives, he will be dealt with, and _he_ is not your concern at the moment."

The whole group seemed to look stricken as Harry seated himself fluently with his legs crossed at the knee and impassion dancing within his eyes.

Then a hand raised from the back where Cho and her Hufflepuff girl companion were sitting with Colin and Dennis.

It was Colin who raised his hand.

"Yes, Colin." Hermione called on him as everyone's notice turned toward the back row.

"Wh-What," Colin started in a soft mutter, that even in its quietness was heard grossly within the silence of the bar, "what is our concern at the moment, s-sir?"

"Equipping yourselves to deal with the threats already present." Harry responded at once. "Preparing to deal with people like the still at large Death Eaters from last year's Quidditch World Cup or perhaps the creatures in our world which we are made to encounter in our lessons. The most prominent being the stout pink toad which masquerades itself as an educator. You all know of it to go by the name of Dolores Jane Umbridge, correct."

Everyone aside from Dennis shuddered as they remembered the Blast-ended Skewrts from last year, but even more so as they recalled their most unanimously hated school teacher.

"Yeah, that's all fine and good. Getting Defense lessons under our belt and whatnot," Zacharias said dismissively while many were begin to roll their eyes at his pompous and self-entitled attitude, "But we want to know more about what happened during the Third Task. All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details. He didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, and I think we all have the right to know how one of our classmates ended up dead."

"It was Voldemort, you numskull!" Ginny slammed her fist to table as she thundered, "You don't have any rights here, and I'll be damned if you sit there and make it seem like you're the one running things here!"

"Gin, calm down." George said, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her back into her seat. Fred turned his attention away from irate sister as he focused a large grin onto Zacharias.

"Listen up, _Zach Bell_. If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when someone gets murdered by a follower of the Dark Arts, then we can all take a dandy fucking field-trip to Durmstrang and watch a few of their Final year guys go at it over a slice of Bulgarian cheesecake." Fred then lost the grin, his face set in such a serious manner that Zacharias shifted in his seta under the stern gaze, "Other than that, we can't help your dumbass, yo."

"Indeed," Harry interjected as eyes turned to him quickly. "We aren't here to defile the memory of such an upstanding student. We're here so you all don't end up like him next." and it seemed Harry's words had the profound effect of making quite a few sit up straight and pay very close attention as they stared at him in subconscious fear. Cho and the Hufflepuff girl next to her, however, narrowed their eyes at him.

As he stopped speaking, no one dared move, not even Zacharias Smith, though the boy continued to gaze intently at Harry.

"Well… there's the time, anyway." Hermione said with a clap of her hands. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to do this. We need to hammer out details like; how often we're going to meet, where we'll meet, and what will be taught- Umm… yes, Susan?"

"Is it true," interrupted the girl with the long plait down her back. She was sitting next to Cho and Colin while looking at Harry with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, "that you can produce a Patronus?"

"How would you know that, Miss…?" Harry trailed off as he gazed at her.

"Name's Susan, famous Mr. Harry Potter sir." Susan said, fluttering her eyelashes at him in a cute fashion.

"Well then, Susan, I believe you'll find out soon enough." Harry said while crossing his arms.

There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.

"So that's a yes?" another Hufflepuff asked.

"Yes, it's a yes." Fred answered for Harry as the group seemed to get more excited.

"Is it a corporeal Patronus?" Dennis asked, "I heard those are really hard to make, but then you're Harry Potter, so-"

The phrase Dennis had first uttered stirred something in Harry's memory as he swapped his gaze from Dennis to Susan. Susan… He remembered Hermione mentioning the name along with Cho's and Colin's. She was Susan… Susan…?

That was it! Susan Bones!

"Susan was it? Related to Madam Bones, correct?" Harry asked, ignoring Dennis for a moment.

The girl smiled coyly.

"Maybe…" she said playfully, but Cho elbowed her, and the Hufflepuff girl got serious. "Okay, fine. She's my aunt." she said. "Yes, I am the one and only Susan Bones! She told me all about your hearing. So, is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

Harry stared at her for a few long moments before nodding, "Yes, this is correct."

"Blimey, Harry!" Lee Jordan exclaimed, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"

"Of course you didn't, yo." Fred said, grinning between Harry and Lee. "Mum told us not to spread it around and other such lark. Said Harry got enough attention as it was."

"Well she's not wrong," Ron mumbled beside Neville, and a couple of people laughed as they heard him.

The veiled witch sitting alone shifted very slightly in her seat as Harry cut his attention to her movements. Something in the air reeked of an unpleasant familiarity.

"And did you really kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Terry Boot demanded, forcing Harry to readjust his gaze from the veiled witch. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year…"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled; the Creevey brothers exchanged awestruck looks and Lavender Brown said "Wow!" softly. Harry was feeling slightly bored now. With everyone focused on his accomplishments, the meeting was getting them nowhere fast.

"Just endure," Hermione whispered to him, "We'll get more supporters this way."

"It seems cheap." Harry muttered back while Hermione shrugged.

"You guys have no clue what Harry and the gang get up to, do ya?" Neville laughed. "Like how in our first year at Hogwarts. Harry saved that Philosophy Stone -"

"Philosopher's Stone, Neville," Hermione corrected passively.

"Yeah, that thing. He protected it from Voldemort back then. That means he's been fighting old Voldy since the very beginning!" Neville finished loudly, with a lot less cheers than he would have thought. Though his audience more concerned with flinching at Voldemort's name and worried for Neville's life as he so blatantly disrespected the Dark Lord. One Hannah Abbott looked especially worried for him as her eyes were as round as Galleons.

"And that's not to mention," Colin said, his voice with more confidence than before, "all the stuff Harry did in those tasks last year to get through the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He got past dragons, battled Merepeople, Acromantula, Blast-ended Skwerts, and all sorts of other things. He's amazing."

There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the tavern. Harry sighed as the people got themselves all worked up.

"Though some people would enjoy this kind encomium greatly," Harry began, looking thoroughly unimpressed with them all, "Let us stick to facts here. The glaring fact, as it was, is that I had a large amount of assistance with each of those things.

"But not with the dragon, you didn't," Michael Corner said at once. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying…"

"Perhaps, but-"

"And nobody helped you get rid of those Dementors this summer," Susan Bones said very loudly, to which Cho quieted the Hufflepuff girl by calling her name.

"Correct, but the point being made is that only with the help of others was I able to conquer such daunting tasks."

"Sounds to me like you're trying to weasel out of showing us anything." Zacharias said with a sniff and his arms crossed.

"Here's an idea," Ginny said sweetly, her anger flaring into existence directly after as she loudly bellowed, before Harry could speak, "why don't you shut your damn mouth for five minutes?!"

"Geez, who invited this dick-waffle?" Fred asked impassionedly as he jabbed a thumb in Zacharias' direction.

Zacharias flushed and bowed his head as some of the people around him giggled and laughed. Then, he raised his head, a look of anger burning on his face.

"We all turned up to learn from him," he gestured toward Harry, who now had his hands steeped in front of him, "and now he's basically saying that he can't really do anything himself."

"That is not what has been said or implied, Mr. Smith." George responded quietly, causing everyone to remember his presence at the other side of the table beside Ginny.

"Would you like me to clean out your ears for ya, dipshit?" Fred enquired, pulling a long and lethal looking metal instrument from inside one of his Zonko's bags. "Or any other part of your body, really, I'm not fussy about where I stick this." The grin Fred gave, combined with what was just implied scared many in the front row to back their chairs a few inches from the crazier of the Weasley twins.

"Yes, well, orifices aside," Hermione said hastily as even she cast a nervous glance at Fred, "We must be moving on… Now then, are we all in agreement that we want to take lessons from Harry?"

There was a babble of general agreement. Zacharias folded his arms and said nothing, though perhaps this was because he was too busy keeping an anxious eye on the long metal instrument in Fred's hand.

"Right then," Hermione clapped, looking relieved that something had at last been settled. "Next order on the agenda is how often we meet. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week."

"Hang on," Angelina said, frowning severely, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"Yeah, no," Cho said, "nor with ours."

"Nor ours," Zacharias added, though he kept his gaze locked on Fred's hands.

"Yes, we wouldn't want that." Neville said, nodding seriously while Ron dropped his head to the table in exasperation over his former student.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," Hermione said, slightly impatiently, "but you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against Death Eaters and all manner of dark creatures."

"Well said!" Ernie Macmillan barked, who Harry had been expecting to speak long before this, "Personally I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our OWLs coming up!"

He looked around impressively, as though waiting for people to cry "Surely not!" When nobody spoke, he went on, "I, personally am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher on us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You-Know- Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from both using _and_ learning defensive spells? That's just madness!"

"Our sources suggest believe the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts is that she's got some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry." Everyone was once again surprised to see that it was George who spoke, and Harry got the idea that it was the most he had heard George say all year so far.

"Merlin, that really does sound crazy!" one of the kids burst out and laughed.

But no one else was laughing. Nearly everybody else looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood who stood firmly beside the executive table with an impassive expression.

"Hem, hem," Ginny cleared her throat, in such a good imitation of Professor Umbridge that had several people looking around in alarm and then laughing when they saw it was her. "Weren't we trying to decide how often to meet and have defense lessons?"

"Yes," Hermione assured with a single nod.

"Well, once a week sounds cool," Lee Jordan said.

"As long as-" began Angelina.

"Yeah, yeah, we know about the Quidditch, you slave-driver." Fred said with a roll of his eyes, "Lucky us, we might have something to remedy that soon, yo."

"Good," Ron said with a nod, then looked at Hermione, "Next item to attend to."

"We decide where we're going to meet…"

"I'm sure we'll find a place that can provide for all our needs." Ginny revealed with a wink at Hermione. Harry supposed that now that she had cooled down, she was back to her normally playful attitude. Though she kept shooting Zacharias looks that dared him to piss her off again. "Just gotta find it first."

"Right, and then we'll send a message around to everybody when we've got it, a time, and a place for the first meeting." Hermione said with a nod as everyone was satisfied with that.

With that all said, Hermione dipped down to rummage through her bag. She produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.

"I- I think everybody should write their names down, just so we know who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath, "that we all had best agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell anyone of what has occurred here today or what shall take place in the future of this study group."

"_I sense that there is something more to that parchment then what she's saying_," Harry thought with a pensive look at the paper and quill which Hermione placed atop the executive table. To his eyes, the paper was faintly wafting an unusual purple glow. "_Hermione_… _what measures have you taken to ensure security_?"

Fred reached out for the parchment and cheerfully wrote his signature, but Harry noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list.

"Err…" Zacharias said slowly, not taking the parchment that George was trying to pass to him, "Well… I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is."

But Ernie was looking rather hesitant about signing the list, too. Hermione raised a delicate eyebrow at him.

"I- well, we _are_ prefects," Ernie blurted out. "And if this list was found… well, I mean to say… you said it yourself, if Umbridge finds out-"

"But you just said _yourself_ that this group was the most important thing you'd do this year," Harry reminded him.

"I- yes," Ernie said, nodding, "yes, I do believe that, it's just-"

"Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" Hermione said, though Harry noticed how testily her tone had gotten. Ernie quickly shook his head, looking as though it would pop off his shoulders at any moment.

"No! No, of course not!" Ernie said, looking slightly afraid and less anxious. "I- yes, of course I'll sign."

Nobody raised objections after Ernie, most giving Hermione a wary look as they added their own names.

When the last person, that being Zacharias, had signed the list, Hermione took the parchment back and it disappeared from her grasp as soon as she had placed her hand within her bag. Harry's eyes widened slightly at that, wondering just what sort of magics Hermione was evoking. He himself had signed the list, and it left an odd feeling within him and the entire group.

It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract with the devil.

"Well, time's ticking on," Fred said briskly with a grin, getting to his feet. "George, Lee, Ginny, and my-beautiful-self have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase. We'll be seeing you all later."

In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave shortly after them.

Colin made rather a slow business of fastening the catch on his bag and tying his trainers before leaving. Cho stood over him, her long dark curtain of hair swinging forward to hide her face while Susan practically bounced beside her and Dennis waited at the door. With a reluctant sigh, Colin arose from his seat and was given little choice in his leaving with the three. As they were going, Cho looked back at Harry, appearing caught between two worlds before she shook her head and went out the door.

"It really looks like she wanted to talk to you, Har." Neville said, patting Harry's shoulder as they got up.

"She shall seek me out if she needs me." Harry said quietly, not at all concerned with Cho's strange attitude.

* * *

"Well, I think that went rather well," Hermione said happily as they exited the Hog's Head and entered the into the bright sunlight a few moments later. Harry and Ron were clutching their bottles of Butterbeer.

"That Zacharias guy is something else…" Ron muttered, taking a good swig of his drink while watching after the figure of Smith, who was easily discernible in the distance.

"I don't like him much, either," Hermione admitted with a sigh, "but Ernie and Hannah brought him with them after he overheard me talking to them at the Hufflepuff table and he seemed really interested in coming, so what could I say?" Hermione shrugged at this.

"The more people the better, right?" Neville asked as Seamus and Dean were off ahead of them, going into Honeydukes. "I mean, Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't have come if he hadn't been going out with Ginny -"

Ron, who had been draining the last few drops from his Butterbeer bottle, gagged and sprayed Butterbeer down his front.

"He's WHAT?" Ron spluttered, looking shocked to his core. Even Harry's eyes had gone wide at this tidbit of news. "Why didn't I hear about this?"

"Well, that's why he and his friends came, I think." Hermione pointedly ignored Ron and Harry's questions and gazes as she turned to Neville, "Still, they're obviously interested in learning defense, but if Ginny hadn't told Michael what was going on, then who knows."

"When did this happen?" Harry asked, in a loud and clear voice as Hermione saw she could no longer ignore them.

"They met at the Yule Ball and got together at the end of last year." Hermione said composedly. They had turned into the High Street and she paused outside Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where there was a handsome display of pheasant feather quills in the window. "Hmm… I could do with a new quill."

She turned into the shop. Harry and Ron followed her as Neville also tagged along just because it would be funny.

"Which one was Michael Corner?" Ron demanded curiously.

"The dark-haired one," Hermione answer.

"Hmm… He's not good enough for her." Ron said after a moment's pause.

"Big surprise," Hermione said under her breath.

"He lacks honor," Ron explained, "He and she should have come forward about their relationship. It would have been the right thing to do."

"Yes, but if you'll remember, you were almost a completely different person as opposed to the calm and reasonable man you are now." Hermione argued as Ron scowled while they trekked along a row of quills in copper pots.

"You know," Harry said, "I used to think she had some sort of aversion to me. Ginny, I mean. She never spoke in my presence."

"No, she had a crush on you." Hermione said, though gave Harry a look over her shoulder, "Not that she doesn't still like you, of course," she added kindly to Harry before examining a long black and gold quill.

Harry shrugged, not finding this subject of romance and relationships quite as interesting as Ron, who was stalking Hermione's steps as he tried to find out why Ginny had still not yet come forward about her secret boyfriend.

"… exactly," Hermione was saying, leaving a stunned Ron near a pot of quills as she took one up. "Yes, I think I'll have this one…"

Hermione went up to the counter and handed over fifteen Sickles and two Knuts, with Ron coming out of his stupor to breath down her neck about how much he had changed since last year.

"Ron, enough." she said severely as she turned and trod on his feet, "This is exactly why Ginny hasn't told you she's seeing Michael, _even now_! She knew you'd take it badly last year, and she knew that you'd get this way about trust and honor this year. So don't harp on about this, for Shinra's sake!"

"But, I'm not taking it badly. All I'm trying to say is that my sister should be able to come to me, now or back then, if she's interested in someone. I'm her big brother-" and Ron continued to chunter under his breath all the way down the street.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry and then said in an undertone, while Ron was still muttering about the distrust and dishonorable relationship Ginny and Michael Corner were building while Neville laughed himself silly, "And talking about Michael and Ginny… what about Cho and you?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Harry asked as he glanced at her.

"Well, at the beginning of the year she couldn't keep her eyes off you." Hermione confessed, smiling slightly, "But now," and her small smile was gone, "now she seems to be conflicted on whether or not to be around you. Though from what I've observed, she's leaning more toward the not being around you part."

"What about our theory that she's been reborn?" Harry asked quietly, giving a heavy lidded look, "Perhaps she's come to hate me for my past transgressions?"

"Perhaps…" Hermione muttered, the four walking through the village of Hogsmeade while Harry had never before appreciated just how beautiful the small settlement truly was.

* * *

"Report. How did it go?" a shadowy figure asked as Fred, George, Ginny, and Draco stood before it.

"It went well," Ginny breathed with a slight smile, "Operation Restoration is now at phase three of the plan and way ahead of schedule."

"Excellent," the shadowy figure leaned forward. Black robes and dark locks of greasy hair hung limply in the desk light, the only source of light within the room. "Tell me, how did you manage to get them onto the idea so quickly?"

"We didn't, yo." Fred said, a grin on his face as he placed his hands behind his head. "Hermione's fine ass was all over that from jumpstart. All we had to do was provide a little… security, of sorts."

The shadowed figure gave a small quirk of his eyebrow. That was all.

"Never the less, the operation is moving quickly, and with our presence, it was steered toward the proper direction." George informed as the figure nodded.

"Good, we don't want this falling apart while we're still in the early stages." the figure turned to Draco, "The training? How goes it?"

"It goes well." Draco said loftily, "My own training has afforded me many of my former abilities. Angeal and young Zackary have been throwing their all into the few sessions they can get in. I'd say that Angeal is near a fourth of his former prowess while the Pup is only just finding out what a true First Class warrior is made of."

"And as for Sephiroth?" the figure asked, this time so anxious that he leaned forward in the light. Draco smirked at the man's curiosity.

"My friend, the fates are cruel. No honor-"

"I asked for a report on Sephiroth's progress, not a useless quoting of a long dead story."

"Fine, spoil sport." Draco muttered before loudly saying, "Sephiroth has not been training. In fact, I've only recently spied him sitting by the lakefront, simply staring at the Masamune as it gleamed in the moonlight. As though he were speaking to the sword. However, his sword is like no other, so who knows if he's training or simply being his usual strange self. One way or the other, he's nothing to concern ourselves with at the moment."

"That's fine. Keep watching him, all of you, but from a distance. Leave Sephiroth to his own devices."

"Are the rooms ready?" George aspired to know.

"Not quite, the techs are still hard at work on the last one before the synchronization. Then Room Alpha shall be used to commence phases four and five of Operation Restoration."

"Not bad… Not bad at all, yo."

"Yes, but we have parts to play until then, Agent Reno. I want you and Rude working on Room Alpha, beta testing it for the techs. Agent Cissinei, you will continue to report on all those that have been reborn within the school."

"I'm not one of your agents, so don't even look my way." Draco sneered haughtily. "The only reason we're working together is because I have want of you, and you have need of me."

"You'll get what you want so long as you provide us with what we need, Agent Genesis."

"Good," Draco purred.

"Yes, and all you have to do is continue to play the part of you that is Draco. Report on the Slytherins when I'm not around, continue gaining Umbridge's trust as a kiss-up, and report back to me on anything else that may be of use to us."

"It can and will be done." with that, Draco swept from the dark room. All four sets of eyes watched him go in silence and remained as such until he was well away from them.

"He'd make a good Turk, yo." Fred said as Ginny scoffed.

"You make a good Turk, so anyone else would have to at least be passable." Fred glared at her as she stuck her tongue at him.

"Enough, the Director wishes to speak." George silenced his siblings with those few words.

"Correct, Agent Rude, I do have something to say." Tseng-Snape leaned forward into the light once more. "We are getting to the rocky part of our plans. There are too many variables that could go wrong from this point onward. I'm giving each of you and your underlings full permission to act in the organization's best interest. However, realize the type of department we are."

"We will do so quietly," George intoned softly.

"We'll do so gently." Ginny finished with a small bow.

"The catalyze for the next phase is Umbridge's move." Tseng-Snape steeped his hands together. "She will play right into our hands as the mundane always do. Remember your parts, play them carefully. And give Dobby and Neville their little nudges in the right direction, but don't be so overt about it, Agent Reno."

"I'll be sure to be as subtle as dog shit!"

"… We can only hope…" George muttered as they all heard him. Ginny giggled while Fred fumed.

"None the less, we have our jobs to do, and our roles to play in this act." Tseng-Snape stood from his darkly lit desk. "Remember that all we do is for the glory of the company."

"For the glory of the company!" each of the three agents before him intoned proudly as they stood with rigidly trained attention before they departed. None had lost their touch, not one needed retraining. They were the company's best.

"And you keep tailing the First Class, Agent Elena. Make sure those rogues don't do anything to drastic, and please cover their tracks when they enviably do."

A girl separated herself from the darkest corner of the room, the stoic face she wore was like a mask of stone three inches from her normally dreamy facial expression.

"As you wish, Director." she gave a small bow before slipping back into the shadows. She knew that she'd be followed by another agent who was to make sure she did her job properly. She knew the price that was to be paid should she not act in the company and the department's best interests. She knew that failure could not be afforded in these critical stages of the third operation.

They all knew that failure was never an option for them.

Because what they did was all for the glory of the company.


End file.
